How much Sheffield United will save in wages as double Blades exit revealed | OneFootball

Danny Ings and Ben Mee are set to leave Sheffield United this summer upon the expiry of their deals in South Yorkshire

Sheffield United will be relieved that the 2025/26 Championship season is over after a frustrating year, as the Blades plan their transfer decisions for the upcoming summer, with two veterans set to be released.

Sheffield United's season couldn't have really gotten off to a much worse start, with seven defeats on the bounce in all competitions and just one win in ten seeing them sit at the foot of the table.

The Blades board saw enough after six games to dismiss Ruben Selles, who they appointed following his departure from Hull City to replace Chris Wilder, who had just narrowly lost out in the play-off final.

However, it didn't take the club long to reverse their decision on Wilder, bringing him back to replace the Spaniard, but left the 58-year-old without a transfer window to work with, as the damage had already been done.

The free additions of Patrick Bamford and Jairo Riedewald outside the window proved beyond any doubt that Wilder was discontent with his squad, and limited room for manoeuvre in January did little to change that.

Now, with the summer ahead, another rebuild can commence, as two key decisions on current deals expiring for two players have been made, in which a big chunk of the weekly wage budget will be saved.

How much wage budget Sheffield United will save following the impending exits of Danny Ings and Ben Mee

Danny Ings and Ben Mee both joined Sheffield United on free transfers during the summer window under Selles, but neither has had the desired impact since their arrival.

Ings, 33, had scored just five goals in all competitions across the previous three years with West Ham United before his release from the Hammers, and made the move to South Yorkshire to provide competition up top with the likes of Tom Cannon and Tyrese Campbell.

Meanwhile, Mee, 36, had seen his game time dwindle at Brentford and was allowed to leave the Bees on a free transfer upon the expiry of his deal in West London.

Both joined on one-year deals with the hope of having a significant impact on the squad, with their experience alone serving as a great help to the younger members of the squad.

As estimated by Capology, Ings signed a deal worth £30k per week, whilst Mee signed one worth £25k per week, and now, with both set to expire, the Blades will be saving in excess of £55k per week on their wages alone, if the estimates are to be believed.

Neither have proved to be worth anything close to that sort of money, with Ings racking up just over 600 minutes in 23 league appearances, scoring twice, whilst Mee managed 1,200 league minutes, but in eight fewer appearances.

The former Burnley defender was initially a regular under Selles, but since Wilder's return, each of Japhet Tanganga, Mark McGuinness, Tyler Bindon, and Leo Hjelde have been ahead of him in the pecking order, whilst the free arrival of Bamford, twinned with competition from Cannon and Campbell, saw Ings' minutes limited.

Now, Wilder will be hoping to reinvest their wages into other areas of the squad following their impending exits, as the rebuild in South Yorkshire begins to commence.

Chris Wilder kicks off Sheffield United's summer business by confirming the exits of veteran duo Danny Ings and Ben Mee

Wilder is no novice when it comes to rebuilds, and certainly not with Sheffield United.

Now in his third separate stint as manager at Bramall Lane, Wilder previously guided his boyhood club from the third tier to the Premier League, and took them within minutes away from a penalty shootout at Wembley a year ago for an opportunity to reach the top flight again.

The 58-year-old knows exactly what he wants from his side, and will no doubt already have a clear picture of what he wants his side to look like next campaign.

With parachute payments running out, cuts will have to be made, as well as sales, with Ings and Mee's departures beginning that process, with it being increasingly likely they will not be the last exits sanctioned this summer.