Sheffield United are shaping up for a busy final stretch of the summer transfer window, with centre-back reinforcements firmly at the top of Chris Wilder’s wishlist ahead of the new Championship season.
Wilder has already made clear that neither Mark McGuinness nor Nils Zätterström feature in his plans for 2026/27, while Ben Mee retired at the end of last season, leaving the Blades short on defensive options.
Leicester City’s Harry Souttar has emerged as one solution, with the Australian international having previously spent part of the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Bramall Lane before suffering a devastating Achilles rupture on Boxing Day 2024.
That injury kept the 27-year-old sidelined for almost 15 months, and he only returned to action for Leicester toward the tail end of last season, making just two Championship appearances for the Foxes.
Wilder has not hidden his interest in bringing Souttar back to Sheffield, confirming that talks with Leicester are already underway this week.
“He’s one that obviously has got history with us and we have been linked with him as well,” Wilder said, adding: “We’ve already had conversations with Leicester about taking him, so the conversations will be ongoing.”
Souttar did captain Australia at the 2026 World Cup, starting four games and helping keep two clean sheets while winning 70% of his aerial duels and 63% of his total duels during the tournament.
However, reports suggest Leicester could demand as much as £10m for the defender, and with his injury history still a concern, the deal carries a notable level of risk for the Championship club.
That uncertainty appears to have prompted Sheffield United to explore alternative options, with Osaze Urhoghide of MLS side FC Dallas emerging as a serious target alongside Souttar.
According to Ontheminute.com, Sheffield United and Wrexham are both ready to battle for the 26-year-old’s signature, with the Dutch-born centre-back attracting significant attention from English football.
Urhoghide’s connection to Sheffield runs deep, having begun his senior career with city rivals Sheffield Wednesday, where he made 21 appearances for the Owls between 2019 and 2021 following a release from AFC Wimbledon.
A move to Celtic followed after his contract at Hillsborough expired, though he made just one first-team appearance in Glasgow before heading to Belgian side Oostende on loan in 2022/23.
It was in Belgium that Urhoghide truly announced himself, with manager Yves Vanderhaeghe hailing the defender as a “beast” and a “monster” after an eye-catching start to his spell there.
He subsequently joined Ligue 2 side Amiens on a permanent basis before moving to FC Dallas last year, scoring three goals in 45 games in France before netting three times in 41 outings in Ligue 2.
His current MLS campaign has been particularly impressive, with Urhoghide winning 74% of his aerial duels and 64% of his total duels from centre-back this season.
The defender has also averaged 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game alongside 7.4 clearances on average, statistics that compare favourably to Souttar’s World Cup numbers in those same metrics.
Urhoghide also boasts an 88% pass accuracy rate this year, suggesting he is well equipped to play out from the back at the next level.
Souttar’s brother John has also been linked with a move to Sheffield from Rangers, potentially adding an interesting subplot to what is already a complicated defensive recruitment picture at Bramall Lane.
With the EFL Cup campaign just over a week away, time is running short for Wilder to finalise his squad and secure the defensive depth his side will need this season.
Landing Urhoghide ahead of rivals Wrexham could prove to be a defining piece of business for Sheffield United as they look to hit the ground running in 2026/27.