Details of Sheffield United's summer recruitment plans emerge following top level meeting
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Although money will be provided for permanent acquisitions, United are not expected to make a swathe of purchases ahead of the forthcoming top-flight season. Instead, given the constraints upon his budget by the club’s well-documented financial issues, Heckingbottom has drawn up plans to bolster the options at his disposal by persuading rival top-flight sides that Bramall Lane provides the ideal environment for their best young up-and-coming professionals to develop. He will use the progress made by Tommy Doyle and James McAtee last term, who helped United win automatic promotion from the Championship after joining them on a temporary basis from Manchester City, as a recruitment tool during talks with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Pep Guardiola’s employers who all boast small armies of exciting young players on their books.
As The Star reported earlier this week, Heckingbottom spent yesterday in Geneva discussing United’s strategy moving forward with representatives of both United’s hierarchy and also officials from United World - the organisation which governs owner Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s portfolio of sporting interests. A number of potential targets, identified by Heckingbottom, were discussed together with his efforts to ensure Iliman Ndiaye and Sander Berge both remain in South Yorkshire despite being about to enter the final 12 months of their present agreements. Both men, who are viewed as irreplaceable by Heckingbottom and his coaching staff, are expected to attract interest from both home and abroad when the window reopens.
MORE: Hecky travels to Geneva
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Hide AdHeckingbottom would also like to try and lure Doyle and McAtee back to United, although that could prove difficult as Prince Abdullah and his associates look to keep a tight grip on spending. Heckingbottom was prohibited from processing any new registrations by the English Football League earlier this year, after discovering that United had defaulted on payments owed to rival teams. These debts were eventually renegotiated using money generated by their march into the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where United were eventually beaten by City.
Prince Abdullah has also spoken about the possibility of selling his shareholding, after talks were held with the now jailed US businessman Henry Mauriss and then Nigerian businessman Dozy Mmobuosi about proposed takeovers.
Meanwhile, United have been informed that Nottingham Forest could be fined only £25,000 following the pitch invasion which followed the second leg of last season’s play-off semi-final between the two clubs at the City Ground. United, who lost the tie on penalties, saw captain Billy Sharp assaulted by a Forest supporter during the ugly scenes which unfolded after the fixture. The person responsible for that attack, Robert Biggs, was later jailed and handed a 10 year football banning order.
Half of the £50,000 fine Forest were yesterday handed by the FA, after partially admitting the charge which had been laid against them, has been suspended.