Sheffield United have had a topsy-turvy season to say the least, with the Blades once rooted to the very foot of the Championship during the disastrous mini-reign of Ruben Selles.
Thankfully, the ex-Hull City boss would only last six games at the Bramall Lane helm before the powers that be in South Yorkshire saw sense, with Chris Wilder handed back the reins after a demoralising six straight defeats.
Unfortunately, Wilder – despite his glittering Championship CV – hasn’t been a complete miracle worker on his return, with 11 wins from 28 league games only lifting United to a middling 17th position.
Still, the Blades are only nine points off Wrexham, occupying that final playoff spot, as they hunt down several January signings, which could see Joe Rothwell potentially swap Ibrox for Bramall Lane.
The latest on Rothwell’s future
The stuttering promotion hopefuls are clearly prioritising midfield additions this January.
To their dismay, though, Dan Neil won’t be entering Wilder’s ranks as a fresh body centrally, with the one-time United target opting to move to Ipswich Town higher up the division, rather than relocating to Yorkshire.
This is where Rothwell could come to the rescue, as United have been tentatively linked with a loan swoop for the one-time Leeds United loanee, with Sky Sports revealing that the Glasgow giants are willing to listen to offers for their reserve midfielder, ahead of February’s deadline.
Wilder and Co. could even land Rothwell permanently – who has two Championship promotions under his belt – with the Scottish Premiership titans prepared to allow him to leave for good, as he is yet to feature under Danny Rohl in league action.
Still, despite his impressive resume at the level, United could be better placed to pursue a deal for another of their midfield targets in Frank Onyeka, with the Nigerian a potentially better signing than the forgotten Gers number six.
Why Onyeka would be a better signing than Rothwell
Rothwell has been a victim of his circumstances at Ibrox, with ex-Rangers manager Russell Martin heralding him as a “huge asset” to have in Glasgow when he first put pen to paper on a switch to Scotland.
Ever since Martin was given his marching orders, Rothwell has retreated into the background at the Glasgow club, with one Rangers-based podcaster stating that his performances were “rotten” under the previous regime.
These are somewhat fair comments when you look at his weak displays to date donning Rangers blue, with only one assist coming his way in Premiership action, alongside the Englishman only winning a feeble two duels on average per match, across his five league starts, as per Sofascore.
The worry would be that the 31-year-old might not be cut out for the intense battle that awaits him at Bramall Lane, as Wilder’s men attempt to slog their way up the congested division, with a similarly weak 1.8 duels won on average during the 2024/25 season for Leeds.
On the contrary, Onyeka has consistently stood out as a tireless option from the middle of the park for both club and country, with the Super Eagles international winning a high 3.4 duels on average during the 2023/24 season for the Bees, when he was a regular under Thomas Frank.
This is far more in keeping with the Neil profile Wilder clearly longs for, with Rothwell’s more creative leanings, arguably, already filled in by Callum O’Hare.
Onyeka has succumbed to the same fate as Rothwell, though, in being frozen out of his team’s first-team plans, but that hasn’t stopped him from being an “exceptional” performer for Nigeria, as his international teammate Chidozie Awaziem has waxed lyrical, off the back of some energetic displays at the recent African Cup of Nations.
|
Onyeka AFCON stats |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat – per 90 mins* |
Onyeka |
|
Games played |
4 |
|
Goals scored |
0 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Touches* |
48.5 |
|
Accurate passes* |
27.3 (89%) |
|
Ball recoveries* |
4.3 |
|
Total duels won* |
5.8 |
|
Stats by Sofascore |
|
Onyeka was a competent performer throughout the hotly-contested tournament, despite last featuring for Keith Andrews’ men in the Premier League in early October, with a classy 89% pass accuracy managed.
However, it was his ability to launch himself into duels non-stop that received the most praise, with journalist Babatunde Koiki hailing him as a “midfield monster.” On top of that, commentator Ralph Chidozie-George would laud him as a “well-oiled machine” that showed no signs of rust from his lack of Brentford minutes.
The hope will be that the 28-year-old can launch himself into the Championship with the same vigour present, with his ability to line up all across the midfield positions, and even as a centre-back if required, making this feel like a very shrewd deal to win.
It remains to be seen whether United will secure any late signings, but if it were a toss-up between signing a declining Rothwell or landing the £7m-rated Onyeka, Wilder would be better off going after the Brentford number 15.
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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
