Sheffield United manager Slavisa Jokanovic will be determined to make the perfect start to his spell in charge of the club this weekend when his side kick-off their Championship campaign against Birmingham City.

With the dust having now settled from what was a woeful season in the Premier League, the Blades know that a positive performance on Saturday could potentially set the tone for the rest of the year.

Whereas Birmingham have decided to sign a host of players this summer, United have yet to make their mark on the transfer window and thus are set to field a familiar starting eleven at Bramall Lane.

However, when you consider that Jokanovic is no longer able to call upon the services of Phil Jagielka and Kean Bryan who are both currently free-agents, he is relatively short of options at centre-back and thus it wouldn't be at all surprising if he opts to strengthen in this particular position.

One of the players who has recently been linked with a move to the Blades is central-defender Ben Davies.

As covered by GIVEMESPORT, a report from Football Insider in July suggested that United had made an enquiry about the availability of the Liverpool man.

Signed by the Reds in January from Preston North End, Davies failed to make a single appearance for Jurgen Klopp's side last season who are believed to be looking to sanction an exit this summer.

Ahead of United's clash with Birmingham, an update has now emerged concerning this particular transfer pursuit.

According to Goal, the Blades remain in the hunt to seal a deal for Davies despite the fact that Liverpool rejected their initial approach which was believed to be a loan deal which included an option to buy the defender.

It is understood that the Reds are only willing to part ways with the defender on a temporary basis.

United could potentially face competition for Davies' signature from Celtic and AFC Bournemouth who are both reportedly interested in sealing a move.

GIVEMESPORT's Joshua Cole says...

Whilst United would have been disappointed that their first approach for Davies was unsuccessful, it wouldn't be at all surprising if they strike an agreement with Liverpool in the coming weeks for the defender.

Before joining the Reds, the 25-year-old managed to produce some impressive displays in the Championship for Preston as he averaged a WhoScored match rating of 6.82.

Having made 129 second-tier appearances during his career, Davies knows exactly what it takes to compete in this division and thus could prove to be a valuable asset for the Blades if they manage to sign him.

Davies' arrival may also force the likes of John Egan and Chris Basham to step up their performance levels which could have a positive impact on the club's fortunes.

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