‘Like a new signing’ – Paul Heckingbottom highlights major positive from Sheffield United’s January transfer window

Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom has highlighted that retaining Morgan Gibbs-White was ‘like a new signing’ in the January transfer window. 

Gibbs-White has been in impressive form for the Blades this season, after arriving at Sheffield United on loan from Wolves.

He’s scored five goals and registered five assists, picking up that fifth assist on his return to the side last night as Sheffield United beat West Brom 2-0 in the Championship.

Ahead of that game, Heckingbottom was assessing the transfer window in his programme notes, where he outlined that he feels retaining Gibbs-Whites felt like a new signing in a relatively quiet window.

“We knew what we wanted,” Heckingbottom wrote in his programme notes. “Adam Davies and Charlie Goode tick those boxes.

“On top of that, confirming Morgan Gibbs-White was staying was like a new signing and we have reintegrated Dan Jebbison into the squad after an impressive few months at Burton.”

The 22-year-old’s season has been back with Wolves in the last month receiving treatment on a knee injury that’s disrupted his loan in Yorkshire.

However, he’s back in the fold now and will be looking to help Sheffield United continue working their way back towards the promotion race.

Heckingbottom’s side sit 10th in the Championship table after last night’s win, which was their fourth on the bounce in the league.

The Verdict 

In a roundabout way, you can understand what Heckingbottom is saying.

Whilst retaining Gibbs-White hasn’t strengthened the squad from what it looked like pre-January, retaining him hasn’t made them any weaker.

Premier League sides were recalling players left, right and centre in the transfer window, sourcing new loans or padding out their squad.

Wolves, though,