2 Sheffield United players who could follow Max Lowe out of Bramall Lane | OneFootball

Sheffield United are preparing for life back in the Championship after their relegation from the Premier League.

The Blades were only promoted from the second tier in the 2022-23 season as they finished as runners-up behind champions Burnley, but they found the step up to the top flight incredibly challenging.

United finished bottom of the table after a dismal season in which they won just three games and accumulated 16 points, and the 104 goals they conceded is the most of any team in Premier League history.

There could be a big rebuild on the cards for manager Chris Wilder this summer, and Wes Foderingham, Jordan Amissah, George Baldock, Chris Basham, Max Lowe, and Oliver Norwood have all been released at the end of their contracts.

Defender Lowe joined the Blades from Derby County in September 2020, and he went on to make 53 appearances in all competitions for the club, including featuring 10 times in the Premier League this season.

The 27-year-old will be fondly remembered by United supporters for being part of their promotion-winning squad in 2023 but he is reportedly in advanced talks to join Steel City rivals Sheffield Wednesday.

Lowe and his fellow released players are unlikely to be the only departures from Bramall Lane this summer and we looked at which two players could be next to head out of the exit door.

Anel Ahmedhodzic

According to journalist Alan Nixon, United have made Anel Ahmedhodzic available for transfer this summer and the defender's departure seems inevitable.

Ahmedhodzic joined the Blades from Malmo for a fee of £4 million in July 2022 and he played a key role in their promotion in the 2022-23 season – scoring seven goals and providing two assists from centre-back in 40 appearances in all competitions.

The 25-year-old remained a regular this season, scoring two goals in 32 games, and despite being part of the worst defence in Premier League history, he has impressed with his performances on an individual level.

United were said to be willing to allow Ahmedhodzic to depart in January if their £20 million valuation was met and he was the subject of interest from Italian sides Napoli and Atalanta, but he remained at Bramall Lane.

Napoli and Atalanta are reportedly still keen on Ahmedhodzic this summer, while he is also said to be on the radar of Chelsea, and it seems the defender is setting his sights high, revealing he would like to play for Premier League champions Manchester City in the future.

"When I was about 10 and Edin Dzeko started playing for City, I started supporting them," Ahmedhodzic said, quoted by The Mirror. "I also liked Yaya Toure. Although they have now both left and I’ve now played alongside Edin for Bosnia, I still watch City whenever I can.

"One day in the future, I would love to play for them."

A move to Pep Guardiola's side looks unlikely for now at least, but Ahmedhodzic does have suitors from some of Europe's top leagues, and the Blades will attempt to secure the maximum possible fee for his services.

Vinicius Souza

Midfielder Vinicius Souza was another name on the list of players Nixon claimed will be allowed to leave Bramall Lane this summer.

Souza joined United from Belgian side Lommel in August for a fee of £10.5 million, and he was a key player for the club this season, scoring one goal in 38 appearances in all competitions.

However, while Souza was a regular under both Paul Heckingbottom and Wilder, he is a player who divides opinion among Blades supporters, and there have been some controversial moments during his time at the club, most notably when he was involved in a confrontation with team-mate Jack Robinson on the pitch in the defeat at Wolves in February.

Souza said in an interview in March that United's struggles and the fact that his team "doesn’t keep the ball much" cost him a place in the Brazil national team squad, rather than his own performances, and that is unlikely to have gone down well with Wilder or supporters.

The 24-year-old struggled for consistency this season, but he has likely done enough to earn a move elsewhere, and despite only signing a four-year contract last summer, his time in South Yorkshire could be coming to an end.