Sheffield United are not exactly a club synonymous with spending massive amounts when it comes to transfer windows.
We have had our moments in more recent years, when the club back Chris Wilder to the tune of around £100m following the first promotion back to the Premier League.
But in the main, it’s always been fairly reserved and based on outgoings as well. As we saw this summer, United did spend, but only really when Iliman Ndiaye and Sander Berge were sold.
With Chris Wilder now back in charge after United sacked Paul Heckingbottom, the January window suddenly looks more interesting for Blades fans. Indeed, Wilder himself has said he’ll need to wheel and deal as he looks to add to the ranks.
However, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, United could actually spend much more than people expect.
“People I speak to in football suggest Sheffield United are the one to watch, the suggestion being they could spend a fair bit in an attempt to escape the drop. They had a transfer embargo in January but that was not because of their FFP situation – they were compliant – rather the default on payments,” Ornstein said.
Sheffield United set for busy January transfer window
You get the impression Wilder won’t hold back in terms of re-shaping things in January. He’s already spoken about some needing to go out and others coming in, so that suggests he’s already made his mind up on a few.
In terms of big spending, this would be a massive surprise. Not that we’d question someone of Ornstein’s calibre in terms of the reporting, but quite where United would find the money to spend quite big is a bit of an unknown.
A lot could come down to how to the Christmas period goes. If the Blades win a few games and are within touching distance of survival, then Prince Abdullah might go all in on backing Wilder.
That would be a risk, given we’ve just spent money paying off previous debts from big signings.
But with Wilder pushing things and a potential upturn in results, a few quality additions who cost a fair bit might well be what’s required come January.