Two players Sheffield United must sign in the January window
Sheffield United yielded their top spot in the EFL Championship last week as a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest saw them slip down to 3rd in the standings. After a goalless draw with arch-rivals Sheffield Wednesday over the weekend, United are currently placed 4th.
With 30 points from 17 games, Chris Wilder’s men are well-placed to keep their bid for promotion going on, but they need to sustain their good form over the course of the campaign.
With still 30 games to be played in the Championship only, along with the cup competitions, there is a good chance that the Blades’ squad could be stretched and injuries are likely to creep in as well. In order to avoid a situation where injuries to key players derail their season, it would be prudent for Wilder and Sheffield United to venture into the transfer market in January and bring in a couple of new faces in key positions.
To that end, here are two players that they should sign in the winter window;
George Honeyman (Sunderland)
The 24-year-old Englishman has easily been one of the best players in the EFL League One this term. The Sunderland captain has led them in an effective manner, making 15 appearances in the League One this term, scoring two goals while setting up three more.
Honeyman has experience in the Championship as well, having been part of the Black Cats’ ill-fated campaign last season. While the 2017/18 campaign ended in relegation for Sunderland, the midfielder shone, scoring six goals and setting up two more in 42 appearances in the second division.
Signing Honeyman would add more steel and bite in the middle of the park for the Blades, while he can also effectively compete with Mark Duffy for the No.10 role. With both Duffy and Paul Coutts in their 30s, Honeyman would prove to be fruitful in the long run as well for Sheffield United. Certainly, a player that Wilder should consider signing.
Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth)
Having switched to England only this summer, the 22-year-old has hit the ground running and has been instrumental in Portsmouth’s rise to the top of the table in the League One. Curtis has already bagged six goals in his 13 League One appearances while setting up five more goals for his teammates. His goals have been instrumental in Portsmouth’s excellent start with hopes of promotion burning bright for Pompey.
An extremely versatile operator, Curtis can play anywhere across the front three but has largely been used on the left flank but can effectively slot into the No.9 role as well. Flair on the ball, strength to hold off the opposition and quality finishing make the Republic of Ireland youth international a scary prospect to defend against. And he backs it up with excellent off-the-ball work rate as well.
His goals and attacking verve in the final third would definitely aid the Blades’ hopes of sealing a promotion to the Premier League.
