Exclusive: Sheffield United Track AFCON Trio as Wilder Steps Up January Rebuild

Nottingham Forest’s Willy Boly, Habib Diarra of Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers Tawanda Chirewa are all being monitored by Sheffield United after being selected to represent their countries at the latest African Cup of Nations, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.

After confirming plans, first reported by SportsBoom, to cull their squad during next month’s transfer window, the Blades have dispatched a senior scout to watch potential new recruits featuring at the tournament in Morocco.

Given his team’s perilous predicament in the Championship table, Chris Wilder would prefer to draft-in players with experience of English football rather than wait for an overseas signing to acclimatise. 

And that has prompted him to ask the Blades recruitment department to keep tabs on three names all called-up for AFCON despite finding themselves on the fringes of their clubs plans at domestic level.

Wilder has made defence and midfield his top priorities, hence the interest in Boly and Diarra. Aged 21, the latter has made only four starts under Regis Le Bris, whose team beat Wilder’s men in last term’s play-off final at Wembley, and is known to be keen on securing regular game time in order to force himself into the Frenchman’s plans.

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Fellow Senegalese Iliman Ndiaye started his professional career at Bramall Lane and is known to still speak highly of the South Yorkshire club, which could impress the former Strasbourg midfielder. 

Boly, aged 34, has yet to appear for Forest in the Premier League since August and could be allowed to leave on loan if Shaun Dyce, Wilder’s counterpart at the City Ground, can identify a replacement. 

Given his doubts about the suitability of the options he inherited from predecessor Ruben Selles, the Ivorian’s experience could make him an effective partner for the equally experienced Ben Mee in a back three, if Wilder ever chooses to sway back to his once preferred formation. 

Chirewa is the outlier among the names Wilder and his analysts have underlined, given that he is a forward. 

However, with Louis Barry and Chiedozie Ogbene failing to impress The Blades boss, Wolves could allow him to continue his development elsewhere once he returns from action with Zimbabwe.