Chris Wilder explains expected Sheffield United transfer departure with "a few clubs in picture"

Chris Wilder has explained his decision to sanction Ismaila Coulibaly's exit from Bramall Lane, with the Malian midfielder expected to take the next steps in his career away from Sheffield United. The 23-year-old has endured a frustrating time at United since signing from Sarpsborg 08 in 2020, spending a long spell in Belgium on loan at United's sister club Beerschot.

Work permit concerns following Beerschot's relegation saw him join the Blades' first-team squad during Paul Heckingbottom's tenure in charge but Unitedites only had fleeting glances of a player hampered by a few injuries. There is long-standing interest in the midfielder from Swedish side AIK while The Star understands that Coulibaly has admirers in France, Belgium and Switzerland, with Portugal another potential destination.

Coulibaly played alongside AIK sporting director Thomas Berntsen at Sarpsborg, with the Norwegian previously admitting his side's interest in the midfielder. “Ismaila is a player I know well. If he ends up in AIK, it would be good, but I think there are quite a few other clubs that are in the picture. And we have a challenge with our foreigner quota. So, we’ll see. There are probably many clubs involved.”

Coulibaly has only featured in one matchday squad since Wilder's return to Bramall Lane, in the FA Cup away at Gillingham, with the returns to fitness of Tom Davies and Oliver Arblaster only pushing him further down the Bramall Lane pecking order. "I think Ismaila needs to go out and play football," Wilder said. "He's not played any at all for the last 18 months. He's played a couple of cup games but he's never had a run at it.

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"He's had a few issues that need to be resolved by playing regular first-team football so hopefully between now and the end of the season he'll have that ability and everybody will assess where he's at. With Davies coming back, with Anis Slimane coming back into the group, Brooksy [Andre Brooks], Gus Hamer... there are plenty of boys ahead of him in the queue. So he goes, and hopefully has a bit of luck and a good run towards the end of the season."