Setting their sights on reinforcements with or without promotion to the Premier League, Sheffield United have now reportedly joined the race to sign a defensive reinforcement whose quality they know all about.

Sheffield United set for key play-off battle

With Burnley and Leeds United already promoted and left to battle it out for the Championship title, Sheffield United must turn towards the play-offs and Wembley success if they are to take their place in the Premier League for next season. That is, of course, easier said than done though. The play-offs are rarely routine and have the chance to throw up the kind of shocks that the Blades will be desperate to avoid.

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder reacted to the disappointment of missing out on automatic promotion recently, telling reporters: “Congratulations to Daniel (Farke) and Scott (Parker) and their two teams, for those clubs to have the ability to reach 100 points shows you what the division is like, and we’ve finished up the third best team in the division.

Sheffield United eyeing Wilfred Ndidi as £9m relegation release fee emerges

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“The season went to the 44th game and I thought we had a right go, created some chance, but the goals have killed us, it was two poor goals, and the penalty hands the initiative back to them, despite us always carrying a threat.

“We’ve had to learn on the job and the season doesn’t end here, we’d have had to get 95+ points, so it is an insane season. The players will learn from this because we’ve fallen short.”

After officially finishing third, Wilder’s side will now square off against sixth place in the Championship play-offs, which will be Coventry City if nothing changes on the final day this weekend. With Millwall, Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough all forming the chasing pack, however, Sheffield United will only know their fate at the end of this weekend’s fixtures.

Sheffield United join Ciaron Brown race

Away from the action, the Blades have seemingly commenced their summer plans even without knowing their fate. According to Graeme Bailey for EFL Analysis, Sheffield United are now racing to sign Ciaron Brown from Oxford United this summer but face competition from both Norwich City and Middlesbrough for his signature.

Those at Bramall Lane will be hoping that their place as promotion hopefuls this season and hopefully a top flight club in the coming weeks will tempt the versatile defender.

Brown is a versatile centre-back that Sheffield United know all about too, having witnessed him pocket the talented Ben Brereton Diaz in Oxford’s stunning 1-0 victory over Wilder’s side last month.

As per Fotmob, Brereton Diaz was hooked after 59 minutes, having created just one chance and taken just two touches in the Oxford box. Brown, meanwhile, enjoyed an excellent game and ended the afternoon without being dribbled past once and with 15 clearances to his name as his side kept an impressive clean sheet.

Praised for his “fantastic attitude” by former Oxford boss Liam Manning last season, Brown may now have done enough to earn a big move this summer.