Chris Wilder issues Sheffield United transfer exits claim amid fresh West Ham interest | OneFootball

A number of key Sheffield United stars have been linked with a move away from Bramall Lane

Sheffield United are looking to bounce back after a disappointing last 12 months.

The Blades reached the play-off final in 2025, but finished 13th in the Championship last season, 13 points adrift of the top six.

Chris Wilder will be hoping to use this summer to start turning things around at Bramall Lane, but the Yorkshire outfit will no longer be benefitting from parachute payments.

The 58-year-old will be keen to get the club back in contention for Premier League promotion in 2026/27, particularly with the play-offs now expanding to include two more teams.

However, they could face a battle to keep key players with speculation surrounding the likes of Sydie Peck and Harrison Burrows.

Sheffield United have until September 1 to complete their transfer business, as Wilder will also surely be keen to add players to his first team squad.

Chris Wilder reveals his input on Sheffield United player sales

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The likes of Burrows and Peck have both been linked with an exit from Bramall Lane this summer.

It was exclusively revealed in May by FLW that West Ham have an interest in the full-back, while the Hammers have also been linked with Peck too among top flight clubs also being keen.

But Wilder has claimed that any changes behind the scenes, or to the first team squad, will have to go through him before any agreements can be reached.

The Sheffield United boss has made it clear that his opinion is valued quite highly by the decision-makers, and that it is a group effort in making sure the right steps are always taken by the club.

“I've been involved in a lot of things at the football club, and maybe at times too many things,” Wilder said, via The Sheffield Star.

“The club will make a decision but they'll ask me for my opinion on everything.

“Whether it's coaching staff, whether it's the academy. They’re all decisions that we make together.

“I've said it all along, and I've said it with previous owners. When players come in, we make suggestions, it gets discussed and it's either a yes or it's a no.

“It goes to the boardroom, and then a collective decision is made. Maybe, from that point of view, that has always happened and will continue to happen.”

Wilder has emphasised that his role is to ensure Sheffield United win football games, but that he will be involved in any discussions over player sales as well, and that he’s generally on the same wavelength as the owners.

“We produce young players, we put value into our players but only, and I've always said it, in a winning team,” the Blades boss added.

“And my job is to get the team to win consistently.

“Look from a couple of years ago, the value on the players, whether it’s the young ones, whether it’s Harrison, whether it’s Michael Cooper or Gus Hamer.

“So, my job is to win games of football.

"I will be asked about the number if somebody comes knocking - and we can't stop that - and I will suggest a number, and I'm usually not far off with Steve [Rosen], in terms of our valuation and the financial aspects of the club.

“I think we've all seen what's happening at Championship level, the amount of money that's getting lost and what's happening.

“That if you don't look after the club financially, things can turn pretty quickly. And I never want that to happen here.”

Sheffield United have yet to make any signings this summer, although they did complete an agreement to bring Jairo Riedewald back after initially releasing him at the end of his contract.

However, the likes of Andre Brooks and Alex Matos have departed, with the latter moving on loan to Turkish side Goztepe.

Wilder will want to bolster his first team squad, but further sales could be on the cards, with Gustavo Hamer’s future also the subject of transfer speculation.

Sheffield United can’t afford too many departures this summer

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If Sheffield United are going to compete for promotion, then holding onto key players like Hamer, Burrows and Peck will be key.

While one exit may be necessary in order to raise funds, particularly now that they can no longer rely on parachute payments, the club cannot take the risk of losing too many.

Last summer, Sheffield United sold the likes of Anel Ahmedhodzic and Vini Souza and struggled to adequately replace them, so fans would be quite concerned to see more key players depart.

Involving Wilder in this decision-making process will be important, as he will know the importance of keeping this squad together.