Sheffield United

Sheffield United are set to take Wolves' Dutch defender Ki-Jana Hoever, 23, on loan for the rest of the season. (Express & Star - subscription required, external),

The Blades are also keen on signing Republic of Ireland and Southampton midfielder Will Smallbone, 25, who impressed on loan at Millwall before suffering an injury in October. (SportsBoom, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.

Rotherham United are also considering a loan move for Sheffield United forward Ryan One, 19, with the Scotland Under-21 striker's fellow Blade Jamal Baptiste performing well at New York Stadium this season. (The Star), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Tuesday's gossip column here.

Rob Staton
BBC Radio Sheffield

Image source, PA Media

In modern football we spend a lot of time talking about data and tactics. We don't spend so much time talking about man-management, which is vitally important.

All the best managers had a way of finding an edge. Making a point. Getting a bit extra out of a player.

You don't often hear about the ways and means of doing this as much these days as football has become, if we're being honest, a bit too serious for its own good.

So it was great that Chris Wilder shared details of a classic piece of man-management after Sheffield United's latest victory, a dominant 3-1 win over Leicester.

Before the game at Stoke City and the home match against the Foxes, Wilder hung two shirts in the dressing room - a West Bromwich Albion and Wrexham shirt.

The reason being that United lost and played poorly at both clubs recently. He was making a point to his players. Remember what happened in those two games and don't let it happen again.

"This is what happens when we're off it," he said.

"We were off it in the second half against West Brom and rolled over. I really didn't enjoy that. I struggle to hide my feelings, especially when there's 3,000 of our supporters watching.

"At Wrexham the goals we conceded were just ridiculous.

"That West Brom and that Wrexham shirt is going to go up, and I don't want to see another shirt for a long, long time."

So there we go. That's the challenge to Wilder's players. Make sure they only need two hangers for the rest of the season.

Based on the way they played against Leicester, they'll have a shot.

This was sheer domination, highlighted by the Blades recording an xG of 2.42 compared to Leicester's 0.15. Every other key data point showed how strong United were on the night.

There's a long way to go and nobody will be getting carried away after two wins. A recent good run after the last international break was ended, after all, by that disappointing display at The Hawthorns.

Yet there's no point pretending that Sheffield United don't have players capable of driving them up the Championship table, with a manager who's been there and done it before.

If they can have a good January transfer window, this could still be a very interesting season at Bramall Lane.

Image source, PA

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder spoke to BBC Radio Sheffield following their 3-1 win over Leicester City.

"It was a really dominant performance, against a top group of players, to play like we did from the off and right the way through," he said.

"Our centre-forwards and wide players caused them problems all evening and we created some really good chances. I am a touch disappointed for the boys – Michael (Cooper) deserved a clean sheet and their goal took a deflection late on.

"We wrapped the two wingers up, we wrapped the centre-forward up. Jordan James, I think is one of the best midfield players in the division but Dji (Soumare) and Jai (Riedewald) controlled that area against him and (Oliver) Skipp.

"I was looking a lot to my left first half and a lot to my right second half, which shows you the level of performance we produced."

Sheffield United host Leicester City as the headline act on New Year's Day (17:30 GMT) and will be hoping to make it a spectacle.

It's been more than two decades since Bramall Lane welcomed action on the first day of the year and the last time it did so, things did not go the home side's way.

The Blades will enter the new year resolute on closing in on the play-offs, while the Foxes hope to do the same mountainous task with a potential points deduction looming - but can either side begin 2026 in style?

• Sheffield United have lost each of their last three home league games against Leicester City, their worst home losing run against the Foxes.

• Leicester City were beaten 3-2 by Sheffield United at the King Power earlier this season and could lose home and away to the Blades in a league campaign for the first time since 2007-08.

• This will be Sheffield United's first league game played at home on New Year's Day since 2005, a 2-0 defeat to Wigan Athletic in the Championship. Each of their eight matches on January 1st since then have come away from home (W1 D3 L4).

• Leicester City are unbeaten in their last eight league games played on New Year's Day, winning seven of those (D1), the longest active run of any team in England's top four tiers – their last such match was in 2024, beating Huddersfield 4-1 at the King Power Stadium.

• Sheffield United's Patrick Bamford has been directly involved in seven goals across his last eight league appearances in the month of January (5 goals, 2 assists), which includes a goal and two assists for Leeds United against Leicester City in 2021.

Image source, Getty Images

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder claims his players answered him with their gutsy 2-1 win at Stoke after he questioned them following their Boxing Day mauling by Wrexham.

United conceded five goals and Wilder was delighted with the response the Blades displayed as they won at the bet365 Stadium.

He told BBC Radio Sheffield: "It was very rewarding, we got our rewards. I don't think people should really zone in on maybe the last 15-20 minutes because that was the end bit. The first 65-70 minutes was outstanding.

"And then when we had to show bit of courage and personality, which I questioned, we showed it. They've got to stop putting me through the ringer, me and 3,000 Sheffield United fans!

"There's a lot of work to be done, but it's nights like these, moments like this, you know you're always chasing winning feeling and we got it. I thought in the first 20 minutes we were outstanding, the first half we were excellent."

Image source, Getty Images

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder could not argue with the result as his side were beaten 5-3 on the road by Wrexham.

"We knew that they'd come out and it was an energetic start from them - home crowd, Boxing Day and everything that goes with that," he said.

"Quieting the crowd, which we did, in terms of getting the first goal and then getting a foothold in the game.

"Their first goal, from our point of view, is a really poor one. We just have to defend the back stick better than what we did. And then the second goal, for me, has decided the journey of the game, in my opinion.

"We never really dealt with their front three really, especially second half. We come away with a tough result and I've got to say, fully deserved by the opposition."