Sheffield United can now expand their roster in advance of the upcoming Championship season in early August after the summer transfer window was forced open too early to accommodate this summer’s Club World Cup. The early window will end on Tuesday, June 10 after opening on June 1.
After that, it will reopen on Monday, June 16 until the deadline day on September 1, with an earlier cutoff time of 7 p.m. instead of 11 p.m. as in previous years. Even though the Blades have intentions if they stay in the Championship this coming season, they have yet to make their first move of the window.
As things stand much may depend on outgoings, with key men such as Gus Hamer likely to be in demand again after the Blades’ hopes of an instant Premier League return were dashed in the play-off final against Sunderland last month.
But there are also obvious priority areas, such as right-back and centre-half. United currently have rookie Femi Seriki as their only option in the former, with Anel Ahmedhodzic and Jack Robinson – who both enter the final year of their contracts next month – the senior centre-half options following Rob Holding’s return to Crystal Palace.
Holding joined the Blades in January after Harry Souttar’s season-ending injury but United also considered other options at the back, including QPR man Jimmy Dunne and Japhet Tanganga of Millwall. But their bid for Dunne – who is out of contract at the end of this month – was rejected and Tanganga remained at The Den.
That could change this summer, however, with the interesting reveal – courtesy of London-based reporter Richard Cawley – of a release clause figure in Tanganga’s Lions deal. According to Cawley, a bid of around £1.2million could be enough to prise the former Tottenham Hotspur man away from The Den.
Former Sheffield United transfer target available this summer for bargain fee – with one catch
News of United’s interest in Tanganga excited Unitedites when we revealed it back in January, with the 26-year-old’s impressive displays for the Lions – including against United – marking him out as a potential star. Sources suggested at the time that Millwall had quoted a big-money valuation of their prized asset, who could be available for a lot less this summer.
The only snag, however, is that the clause is reportedly only open to Premier League clubs, according to Cawley’s report. The Lions may feel primed for a play-off bid next season, having fallen just short this term, and the prospect of losing Tanganga to a divisional rival is not likely to be an appealing one.
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The London-born centre-half, who could also cover at right-back, made 40 Championship appearances last season and was named the Millwall supporters’ club’s player of the year, also carrying home the players’ player of the year and Junior Lions player of the season gongs.
“Japhet’s played every game he’s been available when I’ve been here,” said boss Alex Neil back in April. “He’s been ever-present. He’s a key member of our team. He knows what we can offer, he knows what we’re trying to do, he’s at the forefront of that.
“What happens in the summer, at the moment, I’m not quite sure how that lands. I don’t know what his views on it are. All we are focused on at the moment is winning the next game. As far as people staying, people leaving, people potentially getting bought, that’s not been a topic of discussion in and around the training ground, and it certainly won’t be until the season’s over.
