Anel Ahmedhodzic features: 2 Sheffield United deals that will push August 30th transfer deadline | OneFootball

FLW look at two situations regarding Sheffield United which could drag on through the remainder of the transfer window.

Highlights

Sheffield United are looking to put the disappointment of last season behind them, in order to rebuild, re-group, and to go again.

Signings are very much needed to secure a return to the Premier League at the first time of asking after the Blades recorded the third-lowest points tally since the beginning of the Premier League era last term with just 16 points; only Sunderland in 2005/06 (15 points) and Derby County in 2007/08 (11 points) have fared worse.

Much focus will undoubtedly be on the reinforcements the South Yorkshire outfit look to bring in, but to truly freshen up the squad in a new era of the club, further departures will likely be involved too.

The Blades will be expected to be there or thereabouts come the end of the campaign, so it is the job of Chris Wilder to live up to those expectations and deliver. They will require signings this summer for their rebuild, and have already got off to a good start.

That's in spite of the need to get the takeover situation resolved behind the scenes. They have plenty to do after the core of their side for many years left, including the likes of Oli McBurnie, Ollie Norwood, John Egan, George Baldock, Ben Osborn, Chris Basham, and Jayden Bogle.

On top of that, they have lost key striker Cameron Archer and, with this in mind, they will need to address their forward department to add more firepower to their team outside of just Kieffer Moore. Sheffield United have since brought in Harrison Burrows, Sam McCallum, Callum O’Hare, Jamie Shackleton and Moore in this transfer window, but more is to be expected.

For now, here we take a look at some of the sagas that may well run until August 30th's transfer deadline.

Sourcing Jayden Bogle's replacement

Of course, losing Bogle to a promotion rival is a blow in and of itself, but finding his replacement is another question entirely for Wilder and the recruitment team.

The Blades are still awaiting a takeover to be completed, which complicates their window currently. An American consortium is interested in completing a takeover of Sheffield United following their relegation from the Premier League, according to The Star.

Until the proposed takeover goes through at Bramall Lane, getting rid of unwanted players, or selling their better players for decent fees, is going to be their best way to get money that they can then spend on rebuilding the squad.

They have raised funds to spend on players like Moore and Burrows, but right-back has become a real problem area for Wilder. He may have added Jamie Shackleton to his ranks as a versatile option down the right-hand flank or in central midfield, but they have very little in the way of specialist's with experience.

Femi Siriki has returned from loan, whilst Sam Curtis is an exciting young prospect, but neither are likely to replace a player of Bogle's calibre. The Blades had hoped to keep him, which makes sourcing a replacement more time-consuming, with other areas of the squad prioritised first so far.

Does Wilder stick with what he's got, or look for a senior player to step into Bogle's shoes?

Anel Ahmedhodzic's future

Anel Ahmedhodzic joined United from Swedish outfit Malmö FF in 2022 and became a key part of the Blades' defensive unit through their Championship promotion and Premier League struggles after the Bosnian came with great excitement from Sweden.

Ahmedhodzic has been one of the club's most consistent players in recent years and bagged plenty despite being a centre-back. He initially thrived in Paul Heckingbottom's back three from the first minute, proving to be an upgrade both on and off the ball over their other defensive options.

Basham's impact has waned on the right side of the central defensive unit, but Ahmedhodzic came in and was an instant success on the field. He is a Premier League level defender and could easily be back in the top-flight, hence the fact that he has garnered interest from clubs across Europe this year.

The 25-year-old will likely be worth triple or quadruple what the Blades paid for him two summers ago, which was believed to be around £4 million. However, with the takeover dragging on, the club may still feel the need to cut their cloth accordingly.

He is arguably their biggest asset and the longer it drags out, the more likely it is that it includes selling off saleable assets like Ahmedhodzic. He is also at a stage of his career where he probably wants to challenge himself at the highest possible level. If top-level offers are coming in, few could begrudge him the move.