Sheffield United are trying to return to the Premier League for the first time after being relegated last season.
Under new owners Steve Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy, the Blades had a busy January transfer window as they sought promotion from the Championship.
Chris Wilder’s side welcomed several new signings, including the permanent addition of striker Tom Cannon from Leicester City, who had previously been on loan with second-tier rivals Stoke City, as well as Hamza Choudhury and Ben Brereton Diaz, who joined on loan from Leicester and Southampton, respectively, and can both sign permanent contracts in South Yorkshire in the summer.
The Blades also had a busy deadline day, bringing in former Arsenal defender Rob Holding on loan from Crystal Palace, as well as a pair of players brought in by AI-driven data analysis: Nigerian striker Christian Nwachukwu and Peruvian winger Jefferson Caceres.
During the winter window, the Bramall Lane club said farewell to Ismaila Coulibaly, who joined Austrian side LASK on a permanent basis, and youngster Louie Marsh joined Fleetwood Town on loan.
Meanwhile, Football League World looks at the two players who will leave the Blades on a free transfer in the summer, assuming nothing changes between now and the end of the season:
Rhian Brewster
Rhian Brewster joined the South Yorkshire club from Premier League giants Liverpool in 2020 for a fee of £23.5 million, and it is fair to say that his signing has not proven to be good value for money.
The striker did not score a single goal in the 2020/21 season, when the Blades were relegated from the Premier League to the Championship.
His season best tally across all competitions for the Bramall Lane outfit arrived in 2021/22, when he scored just three goals in the Championship, and one in the EFL Cup.
Brewster failed to score a Premier League goal for the Blades last season, as Wilder’s side was relegated down to the second division.
He has also struggled in front of goal this season, therefore the South Yorkshire club may not renew his contract when it expires at the end of the season.
Jack Robinson
The other Blades player whose contract expires at the end of the current season is defender Jack Robinson.
Robinson joined Wilder’s side from Nottingham Forest in January 2020 and has since become a fixture at Bramall Lane, playing in both a back three and a back four.
He came close to being an ever-present player for the Blades in the Premier League last season, appearing in 34 games and scoring one goal and providing one assist.
Meanwhile, this season, he has mostly continued to participate in Wilder’s defence, and became particularly essential when fellow centre-back Harry Souttar, who was on loan from Leicester, suffered a season-ending injury and had to return to his parent club.
