The Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder is among those said to be keen on Everton’s Mason Holgate.
Chris Wilder has refused to confirm or deny Sheffield United’s interest in the Everton defender Mason Holgate.
Sheffield United are one of the clubs being credited with an interest in Holgate, who has become an Everton regular in recent months and is valued at £14 million, according to The Sun.
But when asked about the rumour earlier on Thursday, the Blades boss Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield: “The papers would like there to be a dozen, 15 players that we will be linked with.
“There’s some, as always, that you think, ‘Ooh, how do they know about that?’ And some that you think, ‘They’re a million miles off.’ So we’ll leave it at that.”
Wilder did, however, state that defensive and midfield acquisitions are more likely than offensive ones.
On where those arrivals may come from, the 52-year-old said: “The foreign market is one that we could look at.
“I’m not sure that, in terms of the Premier League, we’d have the finances to go and do that. We’ll look at the Championship yet again, as we have done with the signings that we’ve made.
“Is it going to be two or three permanent transfers? I wouldn’t think so. It might be a bit of a mix, in terms of players that we get in.
“There’s obviously always (the possibility of) a loan with an option to buy as well, in the summer.
“There are ongoing talks between myself and the board. I’ve stated that we need to lift and invest, and hopefully we can make that happen.”
Sheffield United have already filled their quota of two loan players from rival Premier League clubs, so a temporary move for Holgate – whose Everton teammate Muhamed Besic is one of those – would be out of the question as things stand.
But loans can still be made from non-top flight sides.
Holgate was born in Doncaster, but began his career across South Yorkshire with Barnsley before Everton came calling.
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