Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder says one player is unlikely to sign a new deal with the club.
“I know for a fact that, possibly, one of the players won’t re-sign because of an agent thinking there is more money in our football club than there actually is,” Wilder said on Talking Sport with Alan Biggs.
“One of the things we have done at Sheffield United is control what we can and bring the power back to the football club, recognising players’ worth and walking away from deals when we have to walk away from deals.”
Wilder continued: “We can’t be reckless and we certainly aren’t reckless, in everything we do.
“There’s a valuation and if it doesn’t happen we move on and we back ourselves to go and replace. We make decisions.
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“We’ve made decisions in the past and I imagine sometimes people are scratching their head and gone; ‘what’s all that about?’ But there’s obviously a story to everything.”
Who isn’t going to sign a new deal at Sheffield United?
(Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)
It’s unclear who Wilder is referring to, with several of the squad currently in contract negotiations.
As Yorkshire Live reports, four players were offered new deals before the coronavirus outbreak. Both John Fleck and Enda Stevens signed theirs, while John Egan and John Lundstram are yet to put pen to paper.
Chris Basham and Oliver Norwood are expected to be next in line for contract talks after that quartet.
However, the club is also in discussions with those players whose current deals expire at the end of June. That includes Leon Clarke, Phil Jagielka, Kieron Freeman and Jack Rodwell.
That is because the Premier League has given permission to offer extensions until the end of the season. The 2019/20 campaign is scheduled to resume on June 17 following its indefinite suspension due to the pandemic.
Their four loanees – Mo Besic, Dean Henderson, Panos Retsos and Richairo Zivkovic – are also in talks about extending their stay.
Yet, chances are, the fact an agent is seeking more money suggests it’s one of those looking to sign a new contract. Egan has previously said his negotiations are going well.
Lundstram, meanwhile, has remained largely quiet on the subject. Wilder is also said to have become frustrated with the midfielder.
Lundstram’s current deal also expires at the end of June, but there is a 12-month extension the Blades plan to activate. Beyond that, his time at Bramall Lane looks uncertain.
