Sheffield United: Focus is on transfers, says boss Adkins

The Blades boss, whose side moved to seventh in League One after a goalless draw at Blackpool on Tuesday night, have a rare blank weekend after their FA Cup exit at Manchester United earlier this month.

But Adkins intends to use the break to focus on transfer dealings, with another bid for Fulham defender Dan Burn lined up.

“What we’ve got now, with the Blackpool game out of the way and none at the weekend, is that all the focus will go not on preparing for a game, but the transfer window,” Adkins said.

“There’s lots of things going on behind the scenes. Ins and outs. We’re looking to be active and we’re looking to be busy. But we’ll have to wait and see.

“Maybe there are lots of things going on, so it’s not frustrating.

“Again, we’ve seen the energy that the players have put in here. Everyone is having a go.

“So if we do bring someone in, they’re going to have to be able to make a big difference to a team that’s got spirit, desire and a belief we can still achieve something this season.

“We don’t need numbers.”

Instead, Adkins has been tasked with reducing a bloated squad which, earlier this month, contained over 40 senior professionals. Since then, James Wallace has joined Shrewsbury on loan for the rest of the campaign and Marc McNulty has extended his temporary stay on the south coast with Portsmouth.

Adkins is thought to be keen on Terry Kennedy finding another loan club after a spell at Cambridge United earlier in the season.