Football
Exclusive: Sheffield United's Chris Wilder Reignites Interest in Republic of Ireland Star Will Smallbone
Sheffield United are considering resurrecting a deal to sign Southampton midfielder Will Smallbone, despite his injury. Chris Wilder sees potential in the Republic of Ireland international and is looking to overhaul the squad with a possible nine players on the way out. Smallbone's experience and talent could be valuable for The Blades as they aim for a top-six finish.
Republic of Ireland v Armenia - FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier by Seb Daly | Getty Images
Sheffield United are contemplating whether to resurrect their interest in Will Smallbone, having previously considered signing the Southampton midfielder during Chris Wilder’s second spell in charge of the South Yorkshire club, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.
The Republic of Ireland international is currently recovering from a hamstring injury sustained soon after joining Millwall on loan.
But that has not dissuaded Wilder from adding his name to a list of potential transfer targets this summer, believing the issue could even force The Saints to accept a significantly lower fee than would ordinarily be expected for a player capped 15 times by his country at senior level.
Naturally, any bid from The Blades is dependent upon Smallbone being able to prove his fitness before the end of the season, with The Lions yet to name a date for his expected return.
However, Wilder is already convinced of the 25-year-old talents after mulling over the possibility of bringing him to South Yorkshire before parting company with The Blades following last term’s play-off final defeat to Sunderland.
Having been dramatically reinstated in September, after United were forced to abandon their disastrous experiment with Ruben Selles and an AI led recruitment model, Wilder is now looking to perform a major overhaul of the squad he inherited from the Spaniard.
DISPOSAL
As SportsBoom exclusively revealed before Christmas, that could see up to nine members sold in order to re-profile the options at the manager’s disposal.
Crucially, unless they secure the top six finish which would grant them another shot at top-flight football, The Blades know they are also likely to receive interest in both Oliver Arblaster and Sydie Peck who boast a number of Premier League admirers.
That recognition has prompted Wilder to scour the market for reinforcements although, even if Arblaster and Peck remain in situ, he also believes United would benefit from greater depth in key areas.
Smallbone is vastly experienced in the second tier, having previously enjoyed a spell on loan with Stoke City and emerging as a driving force behind the Southampton team Russell Martin led to promotion via the play-offs last year.
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.