It looks like being the summer of the centre-back for Sheffield United, with Chris Wilder in need of an overhaul in that department ahead of the imminent start of the new Championship season.

The experienced coach has already revealed that neither Mark McGuinness nor Nils Zätterström are in his plans for 2026/27, with Ben Mee having retired at the end of last term.

One man who could help to fill the void is Leicester City's Harry Souttar, with the injury-hit Australia star previously spending part of the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Bramall Lane, prior to his cruel Achilles blow.

Now fit and firing again, Wilder hasn't shied away from discussing the 27-year-old's potential return to Sheffield, but is this the perfect deal to pursue?

Why signing Harry Souttar would be a risk for Sheffield United

The suggestion is that the Blades are in talks to prise Souttar from League One Leicester, with Wilder confirming as much this week, revealing that negotiations remain ongoing:

Souttar - whose brother John has also been linked with a move to Sheffield from Rangers - had been absent for almost 15 months after sustaining that Achilles rupture on Boxing Day in 2024, an injury that cut short his spell at Bramall Lane.

He only returned to action for his parent club at the tail-end of last season, making just two Championship appearances for the Foxes, prior to captaining Australia at the World Cup.

The Aberdeen-born giant did help to keep two clean sheets in his four starts in North America, notably winning 70% of his aerial duels and 63% of his total duels, although that is still a small sample size to base his current level on.

At a time when securing quality centre-back depth is a must for Wilder and co, it's difficult not to view this deal as a risk, with there no guarantee that Souttar will return to the level he showcased previously in that six-month stint with the Blades.

Indeed, whether he does sign or not, it should not prevent the second-tier from seeking out a potential upgrade.

How Sheffield United could sign an upgrade on Souttar

The season kicks off in the EFL Cup in just over a week's time, and yet there hasn't been nearly enough work done in terms of incomings at Bramall Lane.

Perhaps that will change soon if a deal for Souttar does ramp up, albeit with reports suggesting that Leicester could ask for as much £10m for the in-demand defender.

Rival clubs are queueing up to sign the former Stoke City man, as they are with regard to Sheffield United target, Osaze Urhoghide, with Ontheminute.com providing the latest on that interest.

The suggestion is that the Blades and Wrexham are ready to go head-to-head to sign the defender from MLS side FC Dallas, with the 26-year-old being watched closely by the pair.

The Dutch-born centre-back did actually begin his senior career with rivals Sheffield Wednesday, following his prior release from AFC Wimbledon, making 21 appearances for the Owls between 2019 and 2021.

A move to Celtic followed, after the expiry of his contract at Hillsborough, although he only ever made a solitary first-team outing in Glasgow, instead heading out on loan to Belgian side Oostende in 2022/23.

It was there that Urhoghide really came to the fore, hailed by manager Yves Vanderhaeghe as a "beast" and a "monster" of a defender, following a fine early impression.

He subsequently moved on to Ligue 2 side Amiens on a permanent deal, before joining FC Dallas last year, a move that has proven particularly fruitful.

While Souttar has had to watch on from the sidelines through injury, Urhoghide has flourished over the last year or so, scoring three goals in 45 games in Dallas, after netting three times in 41 games back in France.

In the current MLS campaign, he has been particularly impressive, winning 74% of his aerial duels on average, alongside winning 64% of his total duels from centre-back.

The one-time Sheffield Wednesday man has also averaged 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game, alongside making 7.4 clearances on average, with Souttar, meanwhile, averaging just 1.5 and 6.3 for those same two metrics, respectively, at the World Cup.

Urhoghide also appears to be particularly adept at playing out from the back too, boasting an 88% pass accuracy rate this year, ahead of Souttar's 86% average from his time in Sheffield, for instance.

Translating that form from MLS to the Championship may be a challenge, but Urhoghide has clearly done enough to catch the eye of the Blades and Wrexham of late, the latter side fresh from poaching Danny Imray from Crystal Palace.

Winning the race for his signature could then be an ideal scenario for Wilder's side heading into this new season.