Serious Sheffield United transfer concern may be elevated after Oli McBurnie news | OneFootball

Blades fans have every right to be concerned about missing out on Oli McBurnie to Hull City

Sheffield United fans should have every right to be concerned about missing out on Oli McBurnie to Hull City, after they've seen their team mind the cash all summer window.

McBurnie is obviously no stranger to Yorkshire, having scored 29 goals in 159 appearances across all competitions for Blades. He joined the club for a then-record fee of £20m from Swansea City.

Having played in Spain for Las Palmas - where he netted three league goals - McBurnie has penned a three-year deal with the Tigers.

The Scotsman revealed upon signing his contract that for him to "come back to England, it had to be something special.

"I needed to come back for something that excites me and, at the same time, is right for me and my family," he added.

Sheffield United's low wage offer raises questions

It has emerged via The Star that Blades offered lower terms than their Championship rivals in their pursuit of the striker, with Hull winning the race despite their own financial constraints.

Sheffield United's wage offer to McBurnie was apparently a big reduction from what he earned during his previous spell at Bramall Lane - £29k as per Capology estimates.

If Blades did in fact offer the lowest salary to McBurnie out of all the clubs who tabled offers suggests, either the club didn't see him as a worthwhile replacement for Kieffer Moore, or that there's simply not enough money to play with right now.

FLW exclusively revealed at the start of July that Blades will be working on a restricted budget during this window, and the McBurnie saga could imply things haven't improved on that front.

Financial limits becoming increasingly apparent at Blades

McBurnie's wage demands were reportedly substantial enough that Hull Live suggested meeting them would make him the Tigers' best-paid player by some distance - and they were reportedly going to walk away from completing a deal.

Sheffield United's approach to this transfer window has of course been notably cautious, which is a stark contrast to their spending in previous windows.

The club's 23/24 accounts showed they had spent over £52m on transfers during their Premier League campaign. Now, they appear unable to compete financially even with clubs like Hull who are themselves facing EFL sanctions.

Comparisons with their Steel City rivals

While Sheffield United's situation is nowhere near as severe as Sheffield Wednesday's, the inability to compete financially for a target like McBurnie - particularly when he was available on a free - does raise questions.

Wednesday, of course, have been hit with multiple transfer embargoes and are yet again struggling to pay player wages on time - leading to a mass exodus of their players going elsewhere.

The loss of Kieffer Moore to Wrexham for around £2m has already weakened Blades' attacking options. The Welsh striker scored six times in the second-tier last season as he helped United to the play-off final.

Ruben Selles has made five signings so far this summer - three of which are on loan, and the two permanent additions join from Bulgaria.

It's unclear how much say Selles has had in any of these dealings due to the club's AI transfer model, but it's hard to see two young players who have been playing their football in Bulgaria being good enough to help Sheffield United push for promotion.