Sheffield United have completed the set of five transfers manager Chris Wilder had hoped for with the arrival of Rob Holding from Crystal Palace.

The former Arsenal centre-back joins on loan until the end of the season looking to resurrect his career.

Given his Premier League break when the Gunners bought him from Bolton Wanderers in 2016, now-29-year-old Holding's career has gone backwards since he moved to Palace 18 months ago.

His only first-team appearance for the Eagles came in a 3-0 League Cup defeat at Manchester United in September 2023, and this season he suffered the indignity of twice turning out for the under-21s in the Football League Trophy.

FA CUP: Rob Holding played for Arsenal in the 2017 final (Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

placeholder image — FA CUP: Rob Holding played for Arsenal in the 2017 final (Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

But with Wilder left a centre-back short by the injury which ended Harry Souttar's loan from Leicester City, and the Blades unable to strike a deal to sign Queens Park Rangers' Jimmy Dunne, the hope will be that he can get Holding back up and running.

Holding made over 150 appearances in seven years as a Gunner, mostly from the start, and played the full game when they last won a major trophy, the 2020 FA Cup final against Chelsea. He also won the competition in 2017.

Anel Ahmedhodzic and club captain Jack Robinson have been the Blades' first-choice centre-backs since Souttar injured his Achilles in December, and on-loan right-back Alfie Gilchrist can also play there.

"We've been light in the central defensive area ever since Harry Souttar's injury, so we're delighted to add Rob, a player who has played the game at the highest level for a number of years,” said WIlder.

STRUGGLES: Rob Holding (right) has barely played for Crystal Palace (Image: Patrick Khachfe/Getty Images)

"It is the last remaining piece of the jigsaw and whilst we have had to wait until deadline day to get this one boxed off, I think our patience has been justified by getting Rob over the line.

"He's played in some huge games during his time with Arsenal, so he'll relish the situation he's walking into. He'll compete with the likes of Anel, Jack and others, and joins a squad which is looking far healthier than the one we had at the start of the window, as we look to attack the remaining part of the season."

The promotion-chasers also signed Ben Brereton Diaz, Tom Cannon, Hamza Choudhury and Harry Clarke in this window.

Holding, Gilchrist, Brereton Diaz, Choudhury, Clarke and Holding's Palace club-mate Jesurun Rak-Sakyi are all on loan this season, but only five can play in the Championship at any one time.