Sheffield United are looking to add an experienced 27-year-old to their defence

Sheffield United are in need of defensive reinforcements this summer after the Blades conceded over 100 goals in their disappointing Premier League campaign.

United fell victim to some huge shock defeats, some of which came at Bramall Lane. The Blades suffered 8-0 defeats and conceded five goals as many times.

While it can be argued that they missed leaders at the back such as John Egan and George Baldock, Anel Ahmedhodzic et al failed to command the defense and as a result United went down to the Championship with a historically leaky backline.

This needs to be addressed this summer along with the goalkeeper situation.

Sheffield United have already confirmed that George Baldock will leave the club this summer, with The Star reporting that United wanted the experienced right-back to stay at Bramall Lane but failed to match the wages offered by Panathinaikos in the Greek Super League.

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 02: George Baldock of Sheffield United reacts during the Premier League match between Sheffield United and Everton FC at Bramall Lane on September 02, 2023 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Chris Wilder will certainly be hoping to keep Egan in S2; losing Oliver Norwood, Chris Basham, Baldock and Egan in the same window would be managerially damaging.

The United boss must admit he needs to strengthen that side of his squad and that is perhaps why the Blades have been linked with two Championship veterans Joe Worrall and Luke Ayling.

According to TEAMtalk, Sheffield United are hoping to secure the signature of Nottingham Forest centre-back Joe Worrall this summer. The two sides were reportedly interested in a January move, but Forest refused to do business with a relegation rival and therefore sent him on loan to Turkish side Besiktas.

The 27-year-old has scored one goal in six appearances in the Turkish league and helped secure two clean sheets.

Meanwhile, multiple sources have linked the Blades with Leeds United right-back Luke Ayling, who is out of contract this summer. The 32-year-old had a brilliant spell on loan with Middlesbrough for the latter half of the campaign, where he provided eight assists in 19 games for Boro.

Following his successful loan spell, Michael Carrick is keen to sign Ayling permanently this summer, but the Blades are also set for his signature.

Signing two players with the profile of Worrall and Ayling would be a smart recruitment in my view, with the pair having over 400 league appearances between them.

While this rebuild should focus on bringing in fresh young blood, I personally see this as a 12-month rebuild. The first window should be about steadying the ship and signing experienced players, especially in defence.

Having the potential of Jack Robinson, Egan, Worrall, Ayling in the defensive department will only help United in their bid to return to the Premier League. From there, the addition of exciting talents such as Harrison Burrows and Ashley Phillips would add a perfect blend of youth and experience to the Sheffield United back line.