Birmingham City joined by Sheffield United in race for £1.9m Championship star

The Blades are reportedly weighing up an approach for Swansea City defender Harry Darling before the end of the January transfer window.

Darling, whose contract at the Swansea.com Stadium comes to an end, is the subject of widespread interest from the English second tier. Birmingham, meanwhile, are understood to be keeping tabs on the central defender’s situation with the possibility to pick up his services for free in the summer.

The 25-year-old has started all 28 of the 29 Championship matches so far this season, keeping the Swans within an arm’s distance of the play-off battle until a recent drop-off in form. Darling hardly missed a beat for Swansea over the two campaigns previous, either, as he more than repaid the £1.9 million he cost to sign from MK Dons in 2022.

Our sister publication, The Star, reports Sheffield United have been impressed with Darling and have inked his name on their list of transfer targets. Chris Wilder is determined to acquire defensive depth before the February 3 deadline and Darling could be the man, with this the last opportunity for Swansea to cash in for a fee.

Currently two points off Championship leaders Leeds United and a sturdy 14 points inside of the play-off positions, Sheffield United are in an excellent position to secure promotion to the Premier League. It would be tough for Darling to turn down such an opportunity but then again, it depends where his priorities lie.

If guaranteed game time is the most important factor, making the move to Bramall Lane might not be the best choice. The likes of Alfie Gilchrist (on loan from Chelsea), Anel Ahmedhodzic and Jack Robinson have been consistent starters throughout an excellent run of form, so it’d be difficult to displace any of those characters.

Could Birmingham City appeal more than Sheffield United?

In almost every scenario imaginable, a player of clear current Championship quality dropping down to League One would result in confirmed starts week in and week out. Rather incredibly, however, Darling moving to Birmingham might not secure first-choice status right away as Blues are well stocked as it is.

Chris Davies has built an outstanding defence for the English third tier with Christoph Klarer and Ben Davies a formidable pairing, while captain Krystian Bielik has stepped up at both centre-back and right-back. The experienced Grant Hanley has just joined as a backup from Norwich City, too.

Getting into the Blues XI won’t be any easier next season, either, as Davies is already looking ahead to the inevitable promotion to the Championship. Hannover 96 star Phil Neumann, for example, has signed a pre-contract agreement to join in the summer despite being wanted by a host of German Bundesliga clubs.

Although Darling is undoubtedly of a very high level, he wouldn’t be a shoe-in immediately. The former Cambridge United man must think very carefully about his next steps and what matters most. Is it game time? The project? The money? In this case, only time will tell.