Sheffield United's transfer theft: Birmingham City, Everton laughed loudest | OneFootball

Sheffield United sold Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Che Adams relatively early into their careers, but will the Blades regret the financials involved?

Sheffield United have had their fair share of players that have gone on to bigger and better things since leaving Bramall Lane.

The Blades will certainly feel as though they could have obtained higher transfer fees for players that have gone on to showcase their talent at a higher level.

Some of the most notable names to leave the club over the years are Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Che Adams, with both men going on to impress higher up the football pyramid.

The Blades are currently playing in the Championship, and will be targeting promotion back into the Premier League. If that is achieved, then they'll be looking for much-needed stability in the top-flight, as Sheffield United have struggled to stay afloat between the two divisions.

Here at Football League World, we'll delve deeper into how Sheffield United were left to regret not getting a higher fee for Calvert-Lewin and Adams.

Calvert-Lewin's notable impact away from Sheffield United

Dominic Calvert-Lewin joined Sheffield United's youth academy all the way back in 2005, and went on to make 12 senior appearances for the Blades, before departing in favour of a move to Everton in 2016.

Many of the Bramall Lane faithful would have questioned whether he was good enough to adjust to the demands of Premier League football with the Toffees.

It was reported that Everton had paid just £1.5 million to secure Calvert-Lewin's services from Sheffield United, and the Blades certainly will be feeling hard done by financially with how the forward has gone on to progress his career.

Calvert-Lewin scored 71 goals in 273 appearances for Everton, before going on to depart the club on a free transfer in August 2025. Leeds United were the next club to benefit from his impressive performances in the Premier League, as the Yorkshire-based giants snapped the England international up, and he's certainly repaid the club's faith in him.

The 29-year-old has scored ten goals in 30 appearances this season, and will fancy his chances of adding to that goal tally before the 2025/26 campaign reaches a conclusion after putting himself back into the fold for England.

Che Adams catches the eye elsewhere

Adams was the subject of significant transfer speculation whilst with Sheffield United, and so it was somewhat surprising to see him feature in the Blades' team for their first game of the 2016/17 season.

The Scottish international scored 15 goals in 55 appearances for Sheffield United, before moving to Birmingham City for a fee believed to be in the region of £2 million.

This move came after Sheffield United rejected two bids beforehand, and Adams would have been looking to make an instant impact with the Blues.

He scored 12 goals across his first two seasons with Birmingham in the Championship, but netted 22 league goals in the 2018/19 season, and that impressive record in front of goal seemingly didn't go unnoticed.

Birmingham's rumoured £2 million investment in Adams proved to be a smart one, as the striker was sold to Southampton for a fee of £15 million ahead of the 2019/20 season, with the Saints bolstering their attacking options ahead of the Premier League campaign.

Adams went on to feature regularly for the Saints in the Premier League, whilst also chipping in with 16 league goals for them in the Championship during the 2023/24 season.

He's since moved on from St Mary's, and is now playing his football in Italy with Serie A side, Torino. He's adjusted well to his new surroundings as well, scoring and assisting regularly as he works toward 100 caps for the Italian side.

Meanwhile, Sheffield United fans will be wondering what could have been if they had managed to keep hold of both Calvert-Lewin and Adams. They were both clearly destined to play at a higher level than the position the Blades found themselves in, but given Sheffield United's recent standing in the EFL and lower-end of the Premier League, perhaps staying in the top-flight may have been easier with at least one of their homegrown strikers.

As it is, Everton swerved years of yo-yoing between the two divisions with Calvert-Lewin leading the line and, ultimately, retained their Premier League status and the financial luxury that comes with that. Birmingham relished years of Adams' goals before cashing in big in an inflated transfer market. For that, there will be some envy at Bramall Lane that it wasn't them.