Sheffield United done deal drops new Kalvin Phillips transfer hint | OneFootball

Sheffield United's U-turn on Jairo Riedewald could lead to a similar change being made on Kalvin Phillips' return to Bramall Lane

Despite it seeming like he'd be allowed to move elsewhere this summer, Jairo Riedewald signed a new one-year deal at Sheffield United.

The 29-year-old was crucial in the Blades' upturn in form in late 2025 after he was the first man Chris Wilder brought to the club in his third stint in charge, and a hamstring injury in January almost coincided with their outside play-off hopes starting to diminish.

Therefore, it was expected that Riedewald would be staying put at Sheffield United ahead of next season, especially with it being revealed after the end of last term that he was open to staying, and a full pre-season could lead to an even better year in the Bramall Lane engine room.

It was then quite a shock that the Blades opted not to extend his deal, but an even bigger surprise was that they performed a U-turn on their initial U-turn, and now the Dutchman is set to stay put for the 2026/27 term at least.

There'll be certain reasons as to why Sheffield United decided to retain Riedewald at the eleventh hour. Blades fans are left to speculate on those in the wake of the contract being signed, with some even suggesting that his return could be as a consequence of another deal breaking down.

Kalvin Phillips' return to Sheffield United was interlinked with Jairo Riedewald's initial contract decision

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When it was announced that Sheffield United were set to release Riedewald at the end of his contract, it was indicated by the Sheffield Star that it would clear room both in the squad and in the budget for a Kalvin Phillips return, who spent the latter half of last season at Bramall Lane on loan from Manchester City.

The former Leeds United man hasn't been able to recapture the brilliance that he exhibited in the heart of the midfield at Elland Road under Marcelo Bielsa ever since he made the £42 million switch across the Pennines, due to a lack of game time and injuries.

Sheffield United was the third loan spell that the 30-year-old had spent away from the Etihad Stadium, and it ended prematurely due to injury, which came mainly as a result of playing just seven minutes of senior football with his parent club in the first half of the season.

Phillips suffered a knee injury after being sent off in the Steel City derby in February, ending his campaign after just three appearances in a rather disappointing fashion. Nevertheless, Chris Wilder stated in April that he would like to bring the midfielder back this summer.

Like with Riedewald, there was an expectation that, with a full pre-season behind him, he could finally rediscover some form that earned him England call-ups for major tournaments in the past, but his hefty wages at Manchester City would prove to be a hurdle, especially given that the Blades would be starting the window without Premier League parachute payments.

Nevertheless, they'd work on getting over that hurdle during the offseason. Reports last month stated that Sheffield United were in advanced talks to bring him back, with Phillips said to be happy to rejoin.

Sheffield United's fresh U-turn on Jairo Riedewald could signal the end of Kalvin Phillips' pursuit

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Those reports surrounding the advanced talks to bring Phillips back to Sheffield United are over a week old, and with no white smoke, there'll be some fear that the talks have gone dry.

Announcing the rather out-of-the-blue extension of Riedewald, when his release was a main factor in allowing the club to bring the City midfielder in, could stoke those fears even further.

Now, some Sheffield United fans may prefer to have an extra year of the Dutchman, rather than use a loan spot on Phillips, who many are losing faith in his ability to play a key part in a long season without going down with injury.

While there was still some scepticism over Riedewald's injury record last season, his hamstring injury only kept him out for just under a couple of months, and he still managed 25 league appearances in the 37 games he was at the club, which is a better record than Phillips'.

Or, this could be an indication that, after some further departures and a reshuffle of the wage structure at Bramall Lane, the Blades can afford both, which would be a big boost, especially given the likelihood that Chris Wilder may lose Sydie Peck between now and the window's closure.

Either way, this whole saga surrounding the release-turned-extension has left a lot of questions to be answered, and time will tell whether Riedewald's return will spell the end of Phillips'.