Sheffield United fans will have new COH Sports frustration after transfer blow | OneFootball

Sheffield United fans will be increasingly frustrated with the owners after these Anel Ahmedhodzic transfer details emerged

Sheffield United began the new Championship season with a 0-0 draw at home to Birmingham City last weekend.

The Blades finished 13th in the table in 2025/26, with Chris Wilder’s side coming 13 points adrift of sixth place Hull City.

The Yorkshire outfit will be hoping to bridge that gap in this campaign, but it’s been a tricky summer for the club so far.

Wilder led the team to the play-off final in 2025, but reaching that position again within the next 12 months could prove quite tricky, particularly without any parachute payments.

Sheffield United’s summer signings

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As we approach the final week of the transfer market, Sheffield United have only added three players to their squad, including the return of Kalvin Phillips for another loan spell.

Romelle Donovan has also joined on loan, arriving from Brentford, while Matt Doherty has completed a permanent move as a free agent after his exit from Wolves.

And it remains to be seen whether any other additions will be made between now and the 1 September deadline, with significant pressure mounting on owners COH Sports.

Fans will be keen to see the club strengthen, but instead it’s emerged that the Blades are at risk of going into administration.

Sheffield United fans have added COH Sports frustration

It was reported earlier this week that Sheffield United are set to miss out on the signing of Anel Ahmedhodzic to rivals Burnley.

The defender enjoyed three seasons at Bramall Lane before signing for Feyenoord last summer, and he would have been welcomed back by a majority of supporters.

But, according to The Star, COH Sports would not sanction a move for the centre-back despite only needing to pay a nominal fee.

It’s believed that the Dutch side are still to pay a large portion of the £7 million owed as part of the deal to sign Ahmedhodzic 12 months ago, which meant the Blades would’ve been offered a significant discount for his sale this summer.

COH Sports instead letting him move to a Championship rival in Burnley will not go down well with fans, who are increasingly frustrated at the lack of investment in the side, particularly with reports now stating the club are favouring loans and free agents between now and September 1st.

COH Sports are under increasing fan pressure

The Ahmedhodzic decision as an isolated incident would be frustrating, but the wider context only makes matters worse for the Sheffield United owners.

The dispute with former owner Prince Abdullah led to COH Sports being issued a winding-up petition earlier this summer.

It’s alleged that the Saudi businessman is seeking up to £35 million that he believes he’s owed as part of the sale agreement that was completed in December 2024.

It remains to be seen how this dispute will be resolved, but one possibility is that a winding-up order could be issued, and a 12 point deduction will follow if Sheffield United go into administration.

It’s been reported that two prospective signings have brought this looming threat up in transfer talks already this week.

Fans have every reason to be frustrated with the owners, and that will only be made worse by seeing someone of Ahmedhodzic’s quality slip through their fingers.

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Anel Ahmedhodzic’s importance to Sheffield United

Ahmedhodzic made the switch to Sheffield United in the 2022 summer transfer window, and he was a consistent presence in the side for three years.

The 27-year-old made 103 league appearances for the Blades in that time, including 31 in the Premier League.

The centre-back helped Sheffield United earn automatic promotion to the top flight under Paul Heckingbottom in 2023, as well as reach the 2025 play-off final with Wilder at the helm.

His sale to Feyenoord last summer was a real blow to the team, as they struggled defensively without him, going from conceding 36 goals to 66 in the span of one campaign.

It will sting to see him come back to English football and sign for a potential promotion rival in Burnley, especially when his reported preference was a return to Bramall Lane.