Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday are set to clash in a highly anticipated faceoff. Emotions, spirits, and stakes are high. 

Ahead of the March Derby, much can be said about the rivals’ different actions in the transfer window. 

Prince Abdullah ended his 11-year association with Sheffield United as owner, with COH Sports sealing a £100 million deal to take the club over. 

They stated their focus is giving Chris Wilder, United manager, the support he needed over the transfer window, as part of their push for Premier League promotion.

The January window has certainly been beneficial for Sheffield United, with Wilder making multiple transfers and loan deals with proven players. 

One of these was Thomas Cannon, bought from Leicester for an undisclosed fee, rumoured to be around £10 million. The 22-year-old signed a four-year contract with the side, a longer-term investment in the club. 

Since then, the striker has scored nine goals in just 26 matches. 

United have also signed defender Rob Holding on loan from Crystal Palace who has had five seasons with his former club. 

The club also loaned in Ipswich defender Harry Clarke, who has made an immediate impact, winning 28 duels over the course of his four-match tenure with the Blades. 

United’s investment strategy of bringing in tested and experienced players is paying off particularly well, with them winning seven of their last ten league matches. 

However, Wednesday has experienced an entirely different story. Amidst fears of a transfer embargo due to financial issues and a lack of investors in the club, the Owls did not possess the financial freedom they may have wanted over the January window. 

Wednesday have, however, managed to hold on to their key players, namely youngster Shea Charles, who has impressed since signing on loan from Southampton in the summer.

Yet, the transfer window remained weak for the Owls, Stuart Armstrong was signed on a permanent contract but his five-match tenure for the club has been of low impact. 

Wednesday’s form has also generally been worse than their upcoming opponent, winning only two out their past 10 games, with four ending in a draw and four more in a loss. 

We await the result of the upcoming March fixture, but Owls manager Danny Rohl stated that he is still looking “for the team for a perfect game” – following their recent 4-0 loss to Burnley.