Sheffield United: Any Anel Ahmedhodzic and Gustavo Hamer transfer advances must be snubbed | OneFootball

Sheffield United cannot afford to lose these key players this summer

Highlights

It's fair to say that Sheffield United's preparations for the upcoming Championship season have been far from ideal, and Chris Wilder's squad looks short in a number of areas.

The club announced that experienced heads like Oliver Norwood, Chris Bashham and George Baldock would leave upon the expiration of their contracts, while the likes of Oli McBurnie, John Egan and Ben Osborn have all recently left after failing to agree fresh terms.

The club are currently in the middle of being taken over by a US-based consortium, but until that deal goes through, the Blades look set to be quiet in the transfer market, although they did recently announce the signing of Jamie Shackleton.

As a club who have just been relegated from the Premier League, usually you'd tip the Blades to be in the mix for promotion, but given their small, inexperienced squad, it looks unlikely that they'll be competing for an immediate return to the top-flight.

However, there is still some quality at Wilder's disposal, and it's crucial they don't lose any more first-team players. With that in mind, here are two players Sheffield United must keep hold of.

Anel Ahmedhodzic

Central defender Anel Ahmedhodzic was an important figure for the Blades last season, playing 31 league games, and wearing the captain's armband on a regular basis.

The 25-year-old joined the club from Malmö in the summer of 2022, and played a key role in helping the club win promotion during the 2022/23 season, playing 40 games in total, scoring seven goals too, a lot for a defender, showing how important he is at both ends of the pitch.

Despite his age, the Bosnian is experienced in both English and European football, and with a Championship promotion already on his CV, keeping him at the club is important if they're to have any chance of returning to the top-flight next season.

However, it could well be difficult to keep hold of him with The Mirror reporting at the beginning of June that the likes of Chelsea, Napoli and Atalanta were interested in him, with the Blades slapping a £20million price-tag on the defender.

As it stands, Ahmedhodzic is still a Sheffield United player, and despite being a young man he is now an experienced player and it would be a huge blow to Wilder to lose him. Keeping him at Bramall Lane this summer is imperative if the Blades have any realistic chance of promotion.

Gustavo Hamer

A shining light in what was a dismal season for Sheffield United, it's important that the Blades keep hold of midfielder Gustavo Hamer this summer.

Signed from Coventry City last summer, the Brazilian scored five times and registered eight assists in 40 appearances during the Blades' disastrous 2023/24 campaign.

Given how poor Sheffield United were last season, those numbers were a respectable return, and it's likely that Hamer would thrive in the Championship this coming season.

The 27-year-old has plenty of Championship experience thanks to his time with Coventry City, and he's scored 17 goals and registered 24 assists in 123 appearances in the second tier of English football.

Hamer would be one of the best players in the Championship if he remained with the Blades, and it's crucial that they keep hold of him.

According to Alan Nixon's Patreon in May, Sheffield United would be willing to cash in on the Brazilian should they receive a bid of £15million, but two months on from that report, Hamer remains at Bramall Lane.