Chris Wilder has confirmed how much Sheffield United spent on Jack Robinson.
Robinson joined the Blades from Nottingham Forest on Tuesday for what was officially described as an undisclosed fee.
The Daily Mail reported that it had cost £1m to sign the defender – who penned a two-and-a-year contract at Bramall Lane.
However, Wilder has since debunked those figures.
“We spent £500,000 tonight on a player, which I’m not embarrassed about. There are different ways to spend your money and we’re trying to build,” the United manager told SUTV.
“I could have gone and spent five or six million pounds, but I’d have wasted four and a half million of it because there’s a boy there who’s competitive and will push Jack O’Connell close.
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“Jack Robinson was a player I’ve been trying to get for two or three years. I tried to get him when he was at QPR and he went to Forest.
“He suits our system, his pedigree is great starting off at Liverpool.”
What Jack Robinson will bring to Sheffield United
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Wilder also indicated where he sees Robinson playing. Although he has primarily been a left-back this season, the 26-year-old is clearly thought of as competition for O’Connell now he is in South Yorkshire.
This means Robinson will feature as the left-sided centre-back in a three-man defence. Wilder had made it clear he wanted to sign players who could slot into the overlapping roles.
John Egan has support in the middle from Phil Jagielka. Yet there were no natural alternatives to Chris Basham and O’Connell flanking him.
Jack Rodwell was then signed as a free agent at the start of the January transfer window. And Rodwell went straight into Basham’s position for the FA Cup third round win over AFC Fylde.
Now Robinson has been brought in to cover O’Connell. His experience as a full-back should also help him adjust to Wilder’s system of the wide central defenders being encouraged to join the attack.
