Sheffield United transfer news: Chris Wilder confirms defender 'bid' plus Blades chief on Premier League duo

United have already brought in loan trio Ben Brereton Diaz, Hamza Choudhury and Harry Clarke, alongside £10m signing Tom Cannon.

A centre-back is now the big priority, with the influential Harry Souttar suffering a season-ending injury over Christmas.

A number of names have been linked including Bristol City’s Harry Darling and Ipswich’s Luke Woolfenden.

Wilder said: "We are after a centre-half, no doubt about it.

"We have made enquiries and a bid for a player and it’s going through that ‘dance’ as it always does, but we have got alternative options underneath that.”

On the recent additions of Choudhury and Clarke, the Blades chief, whose side visit Derby on Saturday, added: “He (Choudhury) was the number one target right the way through.

"I worked with Hamza at Watford and I saw him play as a 15-year-old for Leicester in a pre-season game at Northampton.

"I have always tracked him and loved his personality and he’s a player who was in and around a team who won the Premier League and FA Cup and have been in Europe and Champions League football.

"He’s another one who has tasted success and knows how to get out of this division. He has fitted in straightaway and I am delighted to get him on board.”

And on Clarke, he said: "He was on our list for a long time and we’ve had our list right the way through from the start of the season.

"I thought we were a little bit undercooked from the start and have had a few little issues in that area and needed competition.

"Femi (Seriki) has been injured a little bit as well and broke through. Jamie Shackleton, who came in to compete in that position as well has been out injured as well.

"It’s important we strengthened there with Harry and I am delighted with his pedigree.

"He was really good as a kid and he’s tasted success in the last wo seasons with two promotions so he knows how to win in a fabulous Ipswich side who deservedly got promoted out of the Championship. I was a pretty straightforward one.”