Sheffield United should plot raid for Man City defender who shone at Watford | OneFootball

Sheffield United should make a move to sign Manchester City defender Max Alleyne after his successful loan with Watford

Sheffield United head into the summer transfer window in a tricky position following the loss of their parachute payments, but Chris Wilder won't be looking for excuses as he prepares to transform his Blades squad.

Sheffield United will be playing Championship football next season, and with that, lose out on the parachute payments they received following relegation from the Premier League in 2024.

The Blades underwent a turbulent summer window last time around under the watch of Ruben Selles in what can only be described as a scattergun approach by the Spaniard and the recruitment team.

Each of Rhian Brewster, Vinicius Souza, Anel Ahmedhodzic, and Kieffer Moore all left the club, having previously been key components in their ranks the season prior, and the additions of Tahith Chong, Mark McGuinness, and Japhet Tanganga did little to mitigate those losses.

When Wilder replaced Selles at the helm after just six games, the summer window was already over, leaving the 58-year-old with a jumbled squad of players he clearly didn't approve of, hence the free signings of Jairo Riedewald and Patrick Bamford outside the window.

As many as ten players have already exited the club from their loans or at the end of their contracts, as Wilder looks to rebuild the Blades over the coming months, and should be looking to Manchester City for reinforcements.

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Among those leaving the club this summer are three centre-backs, namely Ben Mee, Leo Hjelde, and Tyler Bindon. Mee leaves at the end of his contract after just one season, whilst Hjelde and Bindon return to their parent clubs, Sunderland and Nottingham Forest, respectively.

Nils Zatterstrom returns to South Yorkshire from his loan with Genoa, though whether his immediate future resides at Bramall Lane remains to be seen, leaving just Tanganga and McGuinness as the only two senior options heading into the next campaign.

Wilder will be keen to ensure this area is addressed this summer, and with his budget likely to be tighter than in recent campaigns, the loan market seems a likely avenue he will explore, and he should be considering a move for Manchester City's Max Alleyne.

Alleyne, 20, spent time in the youth system of Southampton before joining the Citizens in 2021 for around £1.5 million, and has progressed his way to the first team, albeit he has found opportunities difficult to come by at the Etihad.

The England youth international was allowed to join Championship side Watford on loan at the beginning of the campaign, and found himself playing regularly under Uruguayan boss Paulo Pezzolano.

However, in typical Watford fashion, Pezzolano's time at the helm didn't last too long, and as Javi Gracia replaced him at the helm, Alleyne's game time took a hit for the next couple of months, with each of James Abankwah, Matthew Pollock, and Kevin Keben preferred over him.

He would eventually force his way into the side under the Spaniard, and would excel as Watford went seven games unbeaten in a row with him in the heart of defence, but with parent club Man City suffering injury problems, he was swiftly recalled in January by Guardiola.

Alleyne made just seven appearances for City in all competitions in the second half of the season, and only two in the Premier League, and ahead of this summer, will surely head out on loan once more with each of Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Josko Gvardiol, John Stones, Marc Guehi, and Abdukodir Khusanov as competition.

The Championship seems like the obvious destination for Alleyne to continue his development, and Sheffield United should be one of the first in the queue for his services with the summer window now officially open.

Whether incoming City boss Enzo Maresca has any plans to keep Alleyne in the first-team fold remains to be seen, but if he is unable to earn some substantial game time, his development is surely best served in the second tier.

Capable of using either foot, the Englishman can play on either side of defence and is adept at bringing the ball out of the defence with great effect, and is a player that could thrive under Wilder.

Alleyne will likely have a cohort of clubs chasing his services this summer, and Sheffield United must do their best to make sure they're at the front of the pack.

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With ten players already out the exit door and more expected, Wilder is wasting no time in starting afresh this summer.

Having missed out on the last summer transfer window, he will be as eager as ever to get stuck into this one and re-stamp his authority on the Blades squad.

He can do exactly that with the addition of Alleyne, who would almost certainly become an automatic starter and elevate Sheffield United's defence to the next level.

Wilder ought to move quick, though, with interest in Alleyne likely to be high following his performances for Watford, as the Blades should absolutely look to use one of their loan spots with the addition of the Englishman.