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Sheffield United need each of their summer signings to inspire a winning run following their poor start to the season.
Sheffield United have endured a shockingly limp start to the 2025/26 Championship campaign that has seen the Blades rooted to rock-bottom ahead of the international break.
Sheffield United were tipped as title favourites for the season, but that could not appear any further from the truth within Ruben Selles’ opening stint as Blades boss.
In a stark drop-off from last season, the Blades are the only Championship side to have lost each of their opening four games, with their cash-strapped steel city rivals, Sheffield Wednesday, above them in 23rd.
Thankfully for Selles, one glaring area of concern from the opening four games was remedied late on in the transfer window, which should prove to be Sheffield United’s best business of the summer.
Japhet Tanganga is Sheffield United’s signing of the summer
Sheffield United brought several fresh faces to Bramall Lane ahead of deadline day, and Selles will be desperate to see each of those aid in turning around the Blades’ fortunes.
Earlier in the summer, Sheffield United signed Louie Barry on loan from Aston Villa to see the former Barcelona prospect reunite with his short-lived ex-Hull City head coach.
However, the opening four league fixtures made it glaringly obvious that the Blades needed to recruit quality central defenders, evidenced by their failure to keep a clean sheet before the break.
Sheffield United sold Anel Ahmedhodzic to Feyenoord for £7m earlier in the window, placing even more pressure on the Blades’ transfer team to find a suitable replacement for the towering Bosnian.
Thankfully for Selles, the club’s hierarchy ought to have found that with Sheffield United’s signing of Japhet Tanganga from Championship rivals, Millwall.
Selles’ Sheffield United future is in question, and the addition of former Spurs star Tanganga will aid the Spaniard in sorting out the leaky Blades backline.
The England international’s experience at the top level, physical profile, and defensive abilities that were evident in his displays last season for the Lions will make Tanganga become the Blades’ best signing of the summer.
Why Japhet Tanganga chose to sign for struggling Sheffield United
The former Alex Neil favourite was in high demand this summer, with Millwall rejecting a £3.5m bid for Tanganga from Italian top flight side Sassuolo in August.
Although the fee remains undisclosed, Sheffield United have shelled out a “significant” fee for the defender’s services, and that will prove to be worth every penny with Tanganga regarded as one of the best centre-backs in the second tier.
Despite the Blades’ early struggles, Tanganga believes he has made the “right” move.
He told Sheffield United’s media: “The club was so close last season, it’s a great group of players. Sometimes in your career you have to make certain decisions, and I think this one is the right one for me.
“I’ve spoken to the manager and he’s shown me the way he wants to play and how he sees me playing and fitting into the team.
“The players here are amazing, I’ve seen them, I’ve played against them and, like I said, I’m just excited to get started.
“After leaving (Spurs) it was important that I went somewhere where I had that platform to play week in, week out. Millwall gave me that. I just want to continue that up here now at Sheffield United.”
Now, the onus is on Blades new boy Tanganga to help steady the Sheffield United ship after the international break and get Selles’ side back on course to the top half.