Vini Souza drops Sheffield United exit revelation - He could've stayed | OneFootball

The Brazilian midfielder was sold to Wolfsburg at the start of July.

Vinicus Souza, following his move to Wolfsburg, has revealed that he would've been open to staying with Sheffield United beyond this summer had they won promotion.

The Brazilian midfielder completed his move to Germany earlier this month after a standout season in red and white. His combative nature was often the glue that held the Blades' midfield together.

Unfortunately for him and his teammates, despite their consistently high levels, United were unable to achieve their promotion goal, and that was always going to leave them vulnerable to transfers like the one that Souza made. Ruben Selles' side agreed a fee of just under £13 million for the 26-year-old that they signed from Lommel SK two summers ago.

Vinicius Souza makes frustrating Sheffield United claim

In an interview following his switch to Germany, Souza spoke about his enjoyment of playing in a number of different countries across his career and how much that appealed to him. That's not to say his time in Yorkshire wasn't enjoyed.

"I've always changed my life with new cultures," the midfielder told Mundo Deportivo. "When the opportunity to go to Germany came up, I thought: 'Another culture, another language'... I loved it.

"We came very close [to promotion]. In the final, against Sunderland, I really enjoyed it. A beautiful stadium, like Wembley, but it slipped away from us by two minutes. In two minutes, everything changed. But I was very happy in Sheffield and I'm very grateful."

Souza admitted those final two minutes and that goal from Tommy Watson altered the course of his future, making him more likely to leave Bramall Lane. He thinks he would've stuck around had they won that final.

"I was very happy there [in Sheffield], I had great friends, there were great people, and the team was fantastic. We were always together, even on my days off. I enjoyed it a lot, but things change very quickly in football.

"In two weeks, it changed; I was in Brazil on vacation and I had to come here. I enjoyed myself a lot in Sheffield, but things change very quickly in football."

Sheffield United will feel disappointed by Vinicius Souza revelation

Blades supporters can fully understand why, following the failed attempt to return to the Premier League, Souza wanted to go to a club like Wolfsburg who play in the German first division. They were in the Champions League five seasons ago and can offer the 26-year-old the opportunity to potentially move onto even bigger and better things within the country.

His admission that he could've stuck around, had him and his teammates seen out those dying embers of the play-off final against Sunderland, is what might frustrate the supporters most, because they will know how close they came to both a top flight return and to keeping one of their best players.