Surprise Sheffield United 'first option' revealed for 23-year-old | OneFootball

Sheffield United have the 'first option' to re-sign a 23-year-old in a surprise move ahead of January.

Chris Wilder and Sheffield United will be looking to improve their squad in January, with the transfer window set to open. However, there are also other situations to keep an eye on, such as Jefferson Caceres at Dunfermline.

It was last season when Sheffield United completed deals for winger Christian Nwachukwu from Bulgarian side Botev Plovdiv and striker Jefferson Caceres, arriving from FBC Melgar in his Peruvian homeland.

The permanent transfer deadline day signings came off the back of work with data experts, but neither made much of an impact last season under Wilder, with his side finishing third and losing in the play-off final to Sunderland.

The same is true of the current campaign. It’s understood that former poker player James Bord is heavily involved in the recruitment process at Bramall Lane, and he helped facilitate the move for Caceres to Dunfermline through his ownership of the Scottish side.

Jefferson Caceres explains Sheffield United situation

At the time, Sheffield United were using up all of their slots for work permit exceptions, so they would need to open up space for a potential arrival, which led to the consideration over the Peruvian and his future.

Sheffield United fans think the Caceres signing was bizzare and it has not been much better for him in Scotland. The Scottish Championship side signed the 23-year-old permanently and he has failed to score.

He can operate as a forward in a number of positions but Caceres has just two assists to his name so far. He has 18 months left on his deal with Dunfermline as well.

El Comercio in Peru have spoken to Caceres about his time in the UK so far, with the versatile forward explaining his exit under Ruben Selles. He said: “The manager told me I wasn’t going to get the playing time I wanted. I spoke with my representatives about that possibility, and we decided to come here (Scotland), knowing I would get consistent playing time.

“They also made that decision to free up a foreign player spot; it’s part of football and these things are beyond your control. There’s an option for me to go back to Sheffield; they have the first option."

However, given his struggles in Scotland, it's unlikely that the Peruvian will ever return to Bramall Lane, with the 'option' unlikely to be activated by the Blades with Dunfermline.

Chris Wilder's view of Jefferson Caceres

Speaking via the BBC at the time of the Caceres signing for Sheffield United, Wilder commented: “The options available to the club under the new ownership allows us to cast our net further afield.

“I’ve spoken previously about how we are looking to be more data-driven with some of our targets, and we have explored the use of this to find players which were previously not on our radar.

“Jefferson has been identified using this strategy. He’s a young lad who we’re keen to develop.”