Exclusive: Sheffield United sent clear warning if Blades reach Premier League | OneFootball

Speaking exclusively with FLW, Lee Hendrie has shared his thoughts on if the Blades would be ready for the Premier League test if they win promotion.

Sheffield United are tantalisingly close to sealing a return to the Premier League.

Chris Wilder's side sit level on 80 points at the top of the Championship with fellow Yorkshire rivals Leeds United, with Daniel Farke's side just edging out the Blades at the Championship summit on goal difference.

Should they secure a return to the Premier League this season, then Sheffield United will be looking to put in a better account of themselves than they have done in their previous two top flight campaigns, in which they finished rock-bottom on both occasions.

"I think they know that" - Lee Hendrie hands Sheffield United Premier League warning

Speaking exclusively with Football League World, we asked Sky Sports pundit and former player Lee Hendrie: 'Do you think Sheffield United have a squad strong enough right now to compete in the Premier League if they go up? Or would they need to strengthen considerably?'

Hendrie said: "Do Sheffield United have a strong enough squad to compete in the Premier League if they go up? No. I look at Sheffield United's squad and definitely not.

"I think they know that anyway, and I think any team that comes out of the Championship knows that the squad players that they have, yes, they have potential in that squad, but we've seen the likes of Ipswich try and bolster and bring players in, and it not quite work.

"We've seen Burnley do it and get relegated in the past. It's a real difficult one, but, at the moment no. I think they would know that they have to strengthen their squad. They'd know that they have to bring in certain players that could fit the criteria for the Premier League.

"We keep seeing that teams that are getting promoted from the Championship seem to be going straight back down, and that's just down to probably the lack of quality, and obviously not being able to afford the top players if you like.

"So yes, they will have to strengthen if promoted."

Sheffield United may need to prioritise bolstering attacking options if they secure Premier League football

Sheffield United have certainly been one of the standout teams in the Championship under Wilder this season.

Defensively, the Blades have forged a defence that is one of the toughest to penetrate in the division, with only Leeds and Burnley conceding fewer goals than their 28 after 38 games this term.

However, at the other end of the pitch, whilst scoring goals hasn't necessarily been a huge issue for United, they haven't registered a tally at this stage of the campaign that would suggest they have enough firepower to ensure they would pose enough of a cutting edge in the top flight next season, should they get there.

Leeds (76), Sunderland (55), Coventry (55), Middlesbrough (57), and Norwich (60) all trump Blades' 53 goals scored in the second tier so far this season.

United's 1.4 goals scored per game average ranks as the sixth-best in the Championship, whilst their 50.4 expected goals (xG) and 4.1 shots on target per game both rank as the eighth-highest in the division so far - per FotMob.

With Tyrese Campbell the club's top scorer in the league with nine, those numbers should raise a certain level of alarm among the Bramall Lane faithful that their team must address their attacking options should they be doing business as a top flight club this summer.

Should they fail to bolster their attack force sufficiently, however, these figures provide evidence that they may well be in for another long campaign in the Premier League next season.