A potential move by Sheffield United for on-loan Wednesday midfielder Shea Charles is “not a wind-up,” says Blades boss Chris Wilder.

The 21-year-old Northern Ireland international, who has arguably been the Owls’ most consistent performer this season, has made 24 Championship appearances and scored one goal, having joined on-loan from Southampton in August.

“He’s a player we know a lot about – I know his agent really well,” Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.

“He’s a player we identified in the summer as well – we’re all doing our jobs whether it’s Sheffield Wednesday or us there’s a list of players so it’s not a wind-up, even though people think it might have been.”

Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri last week unexpectedly told a fans forum he expected Charles to be recalled by his parent club.

Southampton could then elect to loan him elsewhere, or sell, echoing Leicester City’s decision to recall Tom Cannon from Stoke – another player in Sheffield United’s sights.

“We’ve lost Ollie Arblaster, Tom Davies is coming back from injury so players of quality, of pedigree, he was one of them on the list and we’ll see where we go in the next week,” Wilder added.

“Certainly a combative central midfielder who can get about the park, break up things and play is on our radar and there’s a lot of those players that fit the bill,” added Wilder.