New Sheffield United transfer target emerges as Chris Wilder eyes refresh | OneFootball

Sheffield United have highlighted Fiorentina centre-back Nicolas Valentini as a potential signing this summer

Sheffield United's 2026/27 campaign gets underway in the EFL Cup this Sunday against League One side Mansfield Town, but there's still plenty of work to be done improving the squad ahead of the transfer deadline next month.

The Blades finished 13th in the Championship last season, a stark contrast to their 92-point campaign the year before, which ended in play-off heartbreak in the final at Wembley.

This time last summer, Sheffield United were undergoing a real change in direction, with Ruben Selles succeeding a sacked Chris Wilder and overseeing a transfer window which focused on AI-scouted signings and younger players with more potential, rather than those who could make an immediate impact.

The board at Bramall Lane made a swift U-turn just six games into last season. After losing every game under Selles, Wilder returned for a third stint and has been hard at work this summer in reshaping the squad to suit him ahead of their third consecutive second-tier campaign.

Sheffield United set sights on Nicolas Valentini to bolster defensive options

Action Images

One of the main areas for improvement in the Sheffield United squad this summer is at centre-back. Right now, the Blades have just three senior options and two of them, Nils Zatterstrom and Mark McGuinness, are both surplus to requirements.

Harry Souttar, who spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan with the Blades from Leicester City, is the number one option for Chris Wilder. The Australian international was a key player for United before an Achilles injury took him out in December — an injury he only returned from in the final two games of last season.

But with two centre-backs needed, Sheffield United are expanding their options and, according to the Sheffield Star, Fiorentina's Nicolas Valentini is of interest to the Championship side.

The Argentine progressed through the youth system at Boca Juniors before arriving in Florence in January 2025. However, he is yet to make his debut for the club, instead spending the last 18 months on loan at fellow Serie A side Hellas Verona.

Valentini made 36 appearances for Hellas Verona, including 21 in the Italian top flight last season, a campaign which ended in relegation, as I Mastini won just three games. He was sent off on the final day in a 2-0 defeat to Roma.

Nicolas Valentini would tick a much-needed box for Chris Wilder in the Sheffield United backline this summer

Action Images

Valentini didn't have the greatest campaign out on loan last year, and there'd be questions asked about his ability to adapt to the Championship quickly.

But the 25-year-old ticks a lot of the boxes that Chris Wilder is looking for in a centre-back this summer, according to the Star's report.

Valentini is left-footed, aggressive in defence and can carry the ball forward into the midfield, too, which will help Sheffield United take the game to their opposition more this season. The Blades have been looking for a left-footed centre-back for a good few years now.

The Star states that the South Yorkshire side had a £5 million deal lined up for Callum Doyle last summer, before Chris Wilder's departure saw that fall flat, and the defender ended up moving to Wrexham and making the Championship Team of the Season last term.

The Fiorentina centre-back is no Doyle, but with Wrexham reportedly demanding £20 million this summer for him, Sheffield United, understandably, aren't in for him.

How Sheffield United fans have reacted to Nicolas Valentini reports

Action Images

There are a few polarising opinions online in response to Sheffield United's interest in Valentini. Some are intrigued at the prospect of bringing in a left-footed centre-back for the first time in a few years, while others aren't too enthused with the Argentine himself.

"So an Argentinian Zatterstrom then? But it’s ok because Wilder wants to sign this one," one Sheffield United fan questioned. "Over recent seasons the recruitment has been poor," another added.

Some Blades fans do question why Zatterstrom hasn't been given an opportunity throughout his year-long stay at Bramall Lane. The Swedish centre-back was the most high-profile AI signing last summer, and some speculate if that's created a prejudice against him.

Others are just happy to see another centre-back linked, though. While Souttar remains the priority, there's an acknowledgement that others need to be signed alongside the Australian.

"Like it. Solidify defence once again and go from there. Let's see," one Blades fan said. "Seems like a good player, also a left-sided cb which we've struggled to get for a while," was also amongst the replies on X.

Only time will tell as to what the Sheffield United backline will look like this time next month, but there'll be hope that new reinforcements are added sooner rather than later.