Liverpool star should be top of Sheffield United's three-man transfer shortlist | OneFootball

Tyler Morton has been linked with a move to the Blades recently and he should be top of their January shopping list.

Sheffield United’s fantastic start to the 2024/25 season has put them in prime position to secure an immediate return to the Premier League.

The Blades have recovered from a woeful 16-point Premier League effort last term to become one of the Championship's most feared outfits.

Chris Wilder’s side are littered with quality all over the pitch, but their squad has become badly stretched of late.

Injuries to Anel Ahmedhodzic, Femi Seriki, Vinicius Souza and Tyrese Campbell, plus a brief suspension for Harry Souttar, have seen United’s squad depth being firmly tested, resulting in youngsters Louie Marsh and Billy Blacker being named on the bench for the recent win at Cardiff City.

While it hasn’t affected their form so far, Wilder will be keen to add more bodies in January to provide an extra boost to their promotion push and ensure they don’t fade as the season wears on.

With the Blades' potential takeover still yet to officially go through, it remains unclear what their financial situation will be in January, meaning Wilder may have to focus his efforts on loan targets and potential bargains.

With that in mind, here are three players who could potentially be good additions for United, without costing the earth.

3 Emmanuel Dennis

It feels like forever since Emmanuel Dennis netted 10 Premier League goals for a Watford side who were eventually relegated back in 2021/22.

Since then, the Nigerian striker’s career has severely stagnated. His £20 million move to Nottingham Forest has simply never worked out.

The frontman was left out of Forest’s 25-man Premier League squad for the second season in a row and, at 27, surely needs to get away for the good of his career.

He spent the latter half of last season back at Watford on loan, scoring four goals in 17 Championship appearances, before returning to his parent club at the end of the season.

His second Hornets spell highlighted the fact that, despite his career hitting the buffers, he is definitely still capable of contributing effectively, particularly at Championship level.

With senior strikers Tyrese Campbell, Kieffer Moore and Rhian Brewster all facing injury problems at some stage of this campaign, United could certainly use another option to lead their line.

Given that he’s been completely cut adrift at Forest, Dennis would surely be available, should there be any takers for him. A loan move may be plausible, but even if Forest held out for a fee, it would surely be a fairly insignificant one.

The only potential problem would be wages, considering the fact that the striker has been sat on a Premier League contract for the last four years.

Signing Dennis would definitely be a gamble for the Blades, but if they could secure his services either on loan or for a fee in the region of £2-3 million, it could be a very shrewd piece of business.

The Star reported that Wilder is looking to use United’s remaining two loan spots to strengthen his squad in January and Ronnie Edwards could be a perfect short-term option.

The highly rated 21-year-old has hardly featured for Southampton since making the move from League One side Peterborough United in the summer.

The former England Under 20s captain made the switch to St Mary’s for a reported £3 million, according to the BBC, but has found the step-up difficult so far.

At his age, Edwards needs to be playing as much football as possible and with opportunities coming few and far between for him at Saints so far, a loan move to the Championship could be ideal in January.

His Southampton situation could of course change, given that new boss Ivan Juric will surely be keen to re-assess their squad. But with Saints looking destined for relegation, it isn’t a particularly great environment for a young player to develop at the moment.

Ahmedhodzic and Souttar have formed a fantastic centre-back pairing for the Blades so far this term, but with United lacking depth in the area, an addition of Edwards’ quality would be welcome.

United have already had success with one former Posh youngster this season in Harrison Burrows and that could encourage them to make a move for Edwards too.

1 Tyler Morton

Given United’s recent interest in Morton, this is a deal that could potentially be imminent. Nevertheless, it could be crucial for the Blades’ season.

The Liverpool youngster has been linked with a move to Bramall Lane for the last few months, with United badly needing cover for Ollie Arblaster, after their skipper ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in November’s Steel City Derby win over Sheffield Wednesday.

Morton has impressed during Championship loan spells with Blackburn Rovers and Hull City over the last two seasons. He already has almost 80 games of second tier experience at the age of 22 and, after scoring three goals and assisting five in the league for a Hull side who narrowly missed out on the play-offs last term, looks ready to become a leading figure in a Championship side.

Sydie Peck has covered well for Arblaster in recent weeks, but once again, United will surely require more depth if they are to see their bid for automatic promotion over the line and secure a Premier League return.

Given Arblaster’s remarkable rise through the ranks in recent years, it makes little sense to spend big to bring in a midfielder on a permanent deal, since the injured 20-year-old is clearly United’s long-term midfield man.

Hence, a loan move for Morton could be the perfect fit for the short-term, and could also provide Wilder’s men with that extra helping hand that they could do with in a key area of the pitch.

The Blades appear to have recognised this as Football League World understands they have stepped up their pursuit of him.