Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has criticized Wrexham's approach to the closing days of the transfer window, suggesting the Championship club are casting a wide net in pursuit of reinforcements, after the Welsh side lodged a bid reported to be worth £6.5m for Blades midfielder Callum O'Hare.
Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson is looking to strengthen his attacking options before Tuesday's transfer deadline, and O'Hare has emerged as one of his targets. The 28-year-old, who has represented England at under-20 level, has been a regular fixture for Sheffield United this season, appearing in all five of the club's matches across all competitions so far.
O'Hare has already shown his value in front of goal, scoring in the Blades' draw with Cardiff City in their most recent league outing and also finding the net in Sheffield United's EFL Cup first-round win over Mansfield Town earlier this month. Now in his third campaign at Bramall Lane after arriving from Coventry City, the attacking midfielder — who also spent time at Aston Villa and Carlisle United earlier in his career — still has two years remaining on his current contract.
Speaking ahead of his side's Championship clash with Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday evening, Wilder made clear his desire to retain O'Hare while acknowledging the reality of transfer business at this stage of the window.
"He's a good player so I'm not surprised there's been interest," Wilder said. "I wouldn't want him to go, but I understand there's a bid in and it'll be dealt with by the certain people who deal with these (things)."
The Blades boss went further, suggesting Wrexham had been active across multiple positions and targets as the deadline approaches, rather than focusing solely on O'Hare.
"This is not a criticism, but Wrexham are in for half the division," Wilder said. "They've done business, it's their prerogative and what they need to do. I know there have been bids on other players from that football club in that position as well, so maybe it's a bit of blanket bombing in that position and see what comes up."
Despite the interest, Wilder insisted nothing was finalized and that O'Hare remained focused on Sheffield United duty. "It's not a done deal, I've notified Cal to get his head down and get his head on and (focus on) playing for us on Tuesday night," he said. "If that changes, then that changes. But I know they've been in for a number of players, which is what they can do at this particular point of the window, and Callum is one of them."
This is not the first time Wilder has taken aim at his opposite number. The two managers were teammates at Southampton during the 1980s, but Wilder has not held back in previous remarks about Parkinson's comments. Ahead of Sheffield United's league meeting with Cardiff last Saturday, Wilder referenced Wrexham's season-opening fixture against Brian Barry-Murphy's Cardiff side.
"I watched the game against Wrexham, I thought it was one-way traffic for 20 minutes," Wilder said. "The second half, I didn't agree with what the Wrexham manager said, I don't usually anyway, in terms of that it was a one-sided game. I thought he should give the opposition a little bit more credit and respect."
With the transfer deadline looming, Sheffield United will be hoping to fend off Wrexham's approach and keep O'Hare in South Yorkshire, though the outcome remains uncertain as both clubs navigate the frantic final hours of the window.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.