Sheffield United goalkeeper Wes Foderingham looking for loan move after being replaced by Ivo Grbic

The Blades have spent £2m on Ivo Grbic this month, and Wilder has made it clear the Croatian, who made his debut against Brighton and Hove Albion in the FA Cup on Sunday, will be his first choice.

That is a blow to Foderingham, who has been the preferred man between the sticks since seeing off Robin Olsen in the first half of 2021-22.

The 33-year-old is in the final months of his Bramall Lane contract so if he is able to secure a move away before Thursday's 11pm deadline, it will effectively be permanent having turned down a new contract earlier this season.

"I don't know what his conversations with the club were in absolute detail, just that a contract was offered and it was rejected," said Wilder, when asked if the offer was still on the table.

"That was a conversation between the club and Wes.

"I talked about us needing to go out and get a goalkeeper who was our own, which was important.

"I talked to Wes on Friday. I think we came to the agreement that he wouldn't be a No 2 either here at this level or in the Championship so I think that will just work its way out in time and we'll see what happens before the deadline.

"Wes will do what he needs to do before the end of the season."

It was Wilder who brought Foderingham to from Rangers in the summer of 2020, initially to back up Aaron Ramsdale, but it was under Paul Heckingbottom that he established himself as the first choice.

This season Foderingham has pulled off some good saves but also been involved in some costly mistakes causing Wilder, back at the club for a second spell, to decide an upgrade was needed.

"I'm sure he won't want to play second fiddle to anybody and he'll feel as if he's done," said Wilder. "But we made a decision, I made a decision, and that's what the game is all about. We'll make decisions for Tuesday night, I'm just being transparent.

"The club's situation with him in terms of his contract, there's been a discussion and we've come in and now we've made that decision. I've made the decision, with the club's backing, to bring a No.1 in.

"From there, I don't know, really, where it goes but Wes is still contracted to us until the end of the season, as is Adam Davies as well. So we expect a really high level of professionalism going forward from any player that's in the team or out of the team at this particular moment. And that'll always be my stance on it."

The Blades, who were at Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Tuesday, hope to sign a right-footed centre-back in the final hours of the window, and if they do so, that will be their recruitment complete for the rest of the season.