Sheffield United are yet to release their retained list ahead of a busy summer of transfer dealings for Paul Heckingbottom.
The Blades boss has made no secret of his desire to keep most of the squad together this summer. More than ten players are set to see their contracts expire, although it’s believed a number of them have clauses in that the club can activate for another 12 months.
But ahead of United fans looking at who the club is keeping, the Star reports that there is a delay on the Sheffield United retained list as it stands.
Negotiations ongoing
Among the players with contracts expiring are a number of first-team players. The likes of Billy Sharp, Oli McBurnie, Oli Norwood, and West Foderingham are among the players.
McBurnie is believed to have had a 12-month option activated, while there’s been nothing on Foderingham which suggests things are in hand.
MORE UNITED STORIES
For Sharp, his tearful speech at the Town Hall suggested things might not have gone so well. While with Norwood, he told the press previously he had told United he wanted to remain but had held no talks as yet.
Heckingbottom is wanting to keep most of his squad. It comes amid reports of a small £20m budget being available this summer, meaning any player lost is another who needs replacing.
Sheffield United News View: Blades can’t afford to dither
Heckingbottom has wanted things sorting quickly. The Star claims the majority of players will know what their future holds already. And in the main, most will probably be staying put.
But United need to get on with this and quickly. Every week or day lost is another moment lost where the club could be working on new recruits.
It’s so important United get this window right. Money is going to be tight, so the sooner we all know who is here and who’s not on the books anymore, the better.
