Sheffield United are considering a swoop for Sunderland defender Leo Hjelde to strengthen their left-back options.
Sheffield United are exploring a deadline day swoop for Sunderland left-back Leo Hjelde, The Star can confirm.
Ahead of tonight’s 7pm transfer deadline, United boss Chris Wilder is keen to add to his squad ahead of the remainder of the season. The Blades are currently 17th in the standings, but could reduce the gap on the play-off places to eight points when they face Oxford United at Bramall Lane on Tuesday night.
After Sam McCallum was forced off in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Millwall at The Den with what appeared to be a serious looking injury, United are considering swooping for Hjelde to boost their left-back options.
Wilder, speaking after the game, feared McCallum, who joined the Blades in July 2024, could be sidelined for the rest of the season, leaving Harrison Burrows as their only senior left-back. With that in mind, a swoop for Hjelde would make sense.
With United weighing up a late swoop for the defender, The Star has produced a profile on the 22-year-old amid a potential move to S2 before tonight’s 7pm deadline.
Who is Leo Hjelde?
Hjelde is a 22-year-old defender, who is currently contracted to Sunderland, that can play at either left-back or centre-back.
The son of former Nottingham Forest defender Jon Olav Hjelde, the versatile defender, despite being born in Nottingham, represented Norway at youth level.
What has he done so far?
After spending time in Norway as a youngster, including a stint as Rosenborg, Hjelde joined Scottish outfit Celtic in July 2019, signing a professional contract at the age of just 15. He put pen to paper on a three-year deal, joining their reserve team squad with a view to later graduating to the first-team.
Unfortunately for him, he didn’t quite make the grade at Celtic Park, failing to make a single first-team appearance for the club. In January 2021, he was sent out on loan for the first time in his career, joining fellow Scottish club Ross County on loan for the remainder of the 2020/21 campaign.
He made 12 appearances for County, scoring one goal. He was predominantly used as a left-back but was also tasked with playing at centre-back on a handful of occasions.
Following his stint at Ross County, Celtic made the decision to sell Hjelde towards the end of the 2021 summer transfer window, sanctioning a permanent switch to Leeds United. He joined the West Yorkshire outfit for an undisclosed fee, signing a four-year deal.
Leo Hjelde spent three years at Elland Road.placeholder image
Leo Hjelde spent three years at Elland Road. | Getty Images
A Premier League club at the time, Hjelde struggled for first-team opportunities at Elland Road during the 2021/22 campaign, making just three appearances, two of which were Premier League starts.
With first-team football once again proving difficult to come by at Elland Road in the first half of the 2022/23 season, the defender was sent out on loan, joining Rotherham United in January 2023 for the rest of the campaign. He made 13 Championship appearances for the Millers, helping them beat the drop.
Less than a year later, the former Norwegian youth international left Leeds on a permanent basis, joining Sunderland in January 2024 for an undisclosed fee. He made just eight appearances during his time at Leeds and has since made 30 in Sunderland colours.
Although he was primarily used as a substitute last season, the defender made 19 appearances for the Black Cats across all competitions. He appeared in the closing stages of their 2-1 win over the Blades in the Championship play-off final at Wembley.
He required Achilles surgery over the summer, meaning he missed the start of the season, first being named in the matchday squad just before Christmas. He has not featured for the first-team this season, meaning his last senior outing was against the Blades at Wembley.
What he could bring to United?
Versatility. Although Hjelde has played at left-back for much of his career thus far, the 22-year-old, speaking in February 2024, admitted that his preferred position is actually centre-back.
Leo Hjelde would provide some competition for Sheffield United at left-back.placeholder image
Leo Hjelde would provide some competition for Sheffield United at left-back. | Getty Images
As quoted by the Sunderland Echo, he said at the time: “My preferred position is centre-back. Listen, I’ll play anywhere. If the gaffer wants me to play striker, I’ll play striker.
”For me, it’s just about getting game time and being able to get a spot in the team. I was very pleased with that.”
What has been said about him?
After Hjelde banked successive Championship starts for Sunderland at left-back almost a year ago, Black Cats boss Régis Le Bris admitted the Nottingham-born defender does not consider himself as an out-and-out left-back.
Speaking last March, the Black Cats head coach, as quoted by We Are Sunderland, said: “Even if he is not a full back specifically, he can play this role for us, because in our system we play with wide wingers and our full backs are more inside to support the triangles.
"For me, it was clear that he could provide this support for the centre back and left back position. He has been really important for us and he deserved this chance. He played well, he has been really important for us.”
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