"We are all very hopeful" - Sheffield United: Takeover referenced as squad concern raised | OneFootball

Football League World's Sheffield United fan pundit raises concerns over the Blades' takeover and squad depth

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Sheffield United are currently enjoying a highly successful Championship season so far, and sit level on points with league leaders Sunderland, but are behind the Black Cats on goal difference.

However, if it wasn't for a two-point deduction, the Blades would be top of the table heading into the November international break, and can view themselves as the best team in the second tier so far this term.

Sunday's win over Steel City rivals Sheffield Wednesday made it four wins in a row for Chris Wilder's men, but some Blades supporters may be more concerned by the club's off-field matters.

According to Bloomberg, the Bramall Lane side have been up for sale since May 2023, but a takeover deal is still yet to be completed 18 months on from that date.

Blades fan pundit shares two Sheffield United concerns

Football League World asked our Blades fan pundit, Jimmy, who runs the Blades Ramble YouTube channel, what the biggest issue at his club is right now, and what he thinks is the best solution to solve it.

Jimmy said: "There are two ways to look at this question, in terms of the biggest issues at the club.

"Off the field, it's the pending takeover and there's a lot of excitement, but also a little bit of nervousness as to what we're walking into.

"What does it mean for Chris Wilder's future, what does it mean for the club as a whole?

"Are they (the prospective owners) going to spend to push us on?

"Obviously, we're all very hopeful of that.

"I think the concern on the pitch is the squad depth.

"We're starting now to pick up some injuries, and while I think our first 11 is as good as anybody in the division, we're now missing Kieffer Moore, (it) looks like Ollie Arblaster could be out for a little while.

"These players are very difficult to replace, and we haven't quite got the depth, at the moment, to bring in a like-for-like replacement."

The two issues Jimmy raises are not unrelated to each other, as the Blades' squad depth may not be addressed in the January transfer window, unless a takeover deal is completed prior to the turn of the year.

As per Bloomberg, the Blades' prospective owners, a US-based consortium led by Ohio businessman Steven Rosen, are intent on spending in January in order to bolster the club's chances of winning promotion to the Premier League.

But if the takeover is not completed by January, then Wilder and co may have to endure a very quiet transfer window, as current owner Prince Abdullah will likely be more interested in trying to sell the club, as opposed to bringing in new players.

This could somewhat hinder the South Yorkshire outfit's promotion chances, because as the Championship season rumbles on, the Blades will likely face more injury problems, such as the calf strain striker Moore suffered during a recent victory at Bristol City.

In order to counteract such issues, the Blades could do with more squad depth, an issue which can only be solved in January if a takeover is completed.