Morgan Gibbs-White (L) in action against Slovan Bratislava (Getty Images)
Sheffield United have not had the start to life back in the Championship that they would have wanted. Having been relegated from the Premier League, the Blades have struggled to fill the void at the heart of their club. In steps Slaviša Jokanović. After a slow start, the Serbian has helped the Yorkshire club to get back on the right track.
With some shrewd business in the loan market and a total tactical overhaul, Jokanović is poised to brighten Sheffield United’s future. However, there are a few things that the new boss will need to keep in mind when the January transfer window rolls around.
This article goes through exactly what business Sheffield United needs to do in the January transfer window in order to keep their promotion push alive.
After an impressive spell in the Championship, there is a good chance that Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White will be returning to Molineux. He has been a mainstay in the team since his arrival.
With Premier League clubs like Wolves often battle for points after Christmas in order to avoid relegation, there would likely be significant interest in Gibbs-White. Given that he recently signed a contract, it seems unlikely that Wolves would allow him to leave.
His record at Bramall Lane speaks for itself. He’s notched up plenty of assists and goals already. Fundamentally, this is a player that plenty of Blades fans have put their money on. Although, football isn’t the only place you can do your gambling. Check out Spin Palace (spinpalace.com/) for some cool casino games. The point is that Gibbs-White is a maverick talent that the Blades need to protect at all costs.
He’s shown his pedigree in the Championship and many at Molineux may be thinking about recalling him. If this is the case, the Sheffield United board needs to keep their eyes peeled for another creative, attacking-minded midfielder who can energize the middle of the park.
It’s been a tough start for Sheffield United this season. As a result, it seems unlikely that they will have much money to spend in January. If they do bring in any new faces, the likelihood is going to be loans or free transfers as opposed to permanent signings.
Sheffield United supporters should expect it to be similar to the Jokanović era at Watford. He brought several loan players and was happy just having those players help him push towards promotion.
In essence, Sheffield United will need depth as opposed to first-team quality as their main aim will be gaining promotion via the playoffs. Either way, ensuring that none of their best talents gets injured would be key in that push.
Using the loan market to get wingers proved difficult last window. Jokanović favors a system built around wingers, and currently United don’t really have any. There is Oli Burke, although he is nowhere near the first team at the moment. This means that the Blades are going to have to look for talent elsewhere.
Given Jokanović’s track record at Watford with utilizing talented young players from around Europe, this should help them move towards some cheaper options.