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Chris Wilder is targeting Belgium international Elias Cobbaut and Ipswich’s Luke Woolfenden to bolster Sheffield United’s defence.

Wilder feels he lacks cover for overlapping centre-backs Jack O’Connell and Chris Basham and has identified Cobbaut and Woolfenden.

Anderlecht’s Cobbaut won his first senior Belgium cap this season and is a former Under-21 international.

Cobbaut, 22, joined Anderlecht from Mechelen for £2.5million two years ago and the Blades would have to pay substantially more to bring him to Bramall Lane.

Cobbaut is seen as one of Belgium’s rising stars and has three-and-a-half years left on the deal he signed when he arrived in 2018.

(Image: Getty Images)

Woolfenden is part of Paul Lambert’s promotion push at Portman Road and this campaign has been his breakthrough season.

Woolfenden, 21, spent last season on loan at Swindon and has established himself in Ipswich’s starting line-up, making 25 appearances this season.

Ipswich think highly of the young defender and handed him a new deal 11 months ago when he was at Swindon, tying him to Portman Road until 2022.

(Image: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Ipswich have signed Josh Earl on loan from Preston for the rest of the season and they may be persuaded to cash in on Woolfenden now.

The Blades are the only Premier League team not to field anyone 21 or under and Cobbaut and Woolfenden would inject some young blood into their squad.