Sheffield United put the loan market to good use in the winter, with Crystal Palace’s Rob Holding among those signed temporarily.
Sheffield United have been one of the Championship’s most active recruiters this season. It has been needed too, with SUFC seeing a whole host of players leave last summer.
Although relegation proved a blow to their ambitions for the future, the Blades needed to clear the deck and freshen up the squad. Arguably, relegation enabled such a large rebuild at Bramall Lane.
SUFC - Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder
Image courtesy of: CRAIG BROUGH/REUTERS.
Permanent signings have been the focus to replace key players but the loan market has had fruit to bear for Chris Wilder too.
Among January’s temporary signings was Rob Holding, coming in from Premier League side Crystal Palace as a much-needed reinforcement at centre-back.
Do Sheffield United have an option to buy Rob Holding?
Holding has been well down the pecking order at Crystal Palace since signing, so a move to Sheffield United offered him a much-needed chance of returning to first-team football.
Competition has been strong for a place in Wilder’s side too though. While the former Arsenal defender has played in six of eight Championship games since signing, only one of them has been from the start.
sheffield united, Do Sheffield United have an option to sign Rob Holding permanently?
Image courtesy of: DAVID KLEIN/REUTERS.
Nonetheless, with the top-flight in sight, a player of Holding’s experience could be one worth keeping for SUFC.
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Unfortunately, unlike deals for Hamza Choudhury and Ben Brereton Diaz, there is no option for the Blades to buy Holding included in the loan deal with Palace.
A chance at a deal yet
Despite this, it feels as though the door will be open for Sheffield United to swoop in for Holding if they wish.
It has become abundantly clear that the former Arsenal and Bolton Wanderers man has no place in the plans of Oliver Glasner and that will likely lead to him leaving the club permanently in the summer.
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Such a deal is something SUFC boss Wilder is open too. Speaking with the BBC in February, he had this to say:
“Rob is just a straight loan until the end of the season but certainly somebody that we would be interested in if the loan goes well.”
Wilder also spoke of how Holding has settled at Sheffield United. It could indicate the player is open to the possibility of staying at Bramall Lane, but time will tell just what the future holds for both Holding and the Blades.
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