James Shield's Sheffield United Column: The big and very annoying problem facing Chris Wilder now

But after Sheffield United, Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Ajax were all said to be preparing bids for goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır, another interested party have now apparently stolen a march in the race to sign the 24-year-old - Sevilla, the five time Europa League winners whose arch-rivals Real Betis faced Chris Wilder’s team in pre-season.

Having hired former Spain and Real Madrid manager Julen Lopetegui last summer, Sevilla have reportedly submitted a bid worth £18m for Çakır after being impressed by his performances in the Super Lig. Quite why they believe this will be enough to secure the 24-year-old’s services has yet to be explained. Less than two hours before news of Lopetegui’s interest emerged, one journalist claiming to have the inside track on events at the Şenol Güneş Stadium was briefing his counterparts covering Premier League clubs that a deal worth £4.5m more had “definitely” been tabled by Jurgen Klopp’s employers at Anfield. The exchange rate can fluctuate pretty dramatically these days. But if the pound and the Euro have been subject to such violent changes of fortune, it seems to have escaped the notice of the financial markets. Presumably, given that everyone else on the planet had been told of Klopp’s intentions, Lopetegui’s employers were aware as well.

This, unfortunately, is how footballers are bought, sold and traded in 2020. One team expresses an interest or asks for information and, before an email has been typed out in response, news of their request is plastered all over the internet. In a world where advertising revenues are often linked to the number of ‘hits’ a website receives, the truth can become an inconvenience in the pursuit of money to pay the bills.

Çakır is undoubtedly a supremely talented goalkeeper. He seems to be a determined character too. After suffering a difficult time on loan with a local amateur team at the beginning of his career, the 24-year-old returned to his parent club, dusted himself down, and has since become both their regular number one and a feature in Turkey’s senior international squad too.

What also seems certain, however, is that Trabzonspor are pretty keen to sell. Even before the coronavirus pandemic forced the game into lockdown, all was not well on the Black Sea coast. The recruitment budget placed at their manager’s disposal ahead of the new campaign supposedly totally £1m. To most folk, that’s a pretty hefty amount. In sport, top-flight elite level sport, it equates to the spare change found down the back of a sofa. Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel recently quit the club to help them save a few quid although, to be fair, he had also apparently failed to settle in Trabzon.

United are undoubtedly in the market for a new goalkeeper. Or at least, they are assessing potential replacements for Dean Henderson. Wilder would be foolish not to, given Henderson’s stated ambition of becoming first choice at Old Trafford and the possibility, given his performances at Bramall Lane over the past two seasons, that his loan will not be renewed to cover next term. Given his attitude, ability and employer’s obvious willingness to cash-in, it would be a surprise if Çakır is not among the alternatives United have assessed. There is the world of difference, however, between checking someone’s suitability and making a concrete approach.

The language of modern football - or football in sections of the media to be exact - has grown increasingly melodramatic of late. Visits to watch games, which managers undertake on a regular basis, are now described as “scouting missions”. Wilder and his colleagues no longer make enquiries for players. They “swoop”. Clubs, with a vested interest in sparking an auction for their assets, are complicit in the whole sorry process. The same goes for many agents, although it must be said that not all members of this profession are as scurrilous as they are made out. Quite often, they are simply convenient fall guys or girls for managers and directors who have b*****d something up.

After initially focusing on unfulfilled potential in the lower divisions, Wilder accepts he will have to make subtle changes to his recruitment strategy if United - seventh in the Premier League before the season was suspended - are to continue the progress they have made of late. The basic principles of Wilder’s policy remain the same. Sander Berge, signed for £22m in January, would probably have been worth double had United bided their time. But the numbers involved have soared.

Previously, Wilder has preferred to do his business on the quiet - only commenting on targets when “they are actually in the building” and refusing to comment on speculation. One suspects, as United explore new markets and broaden their horizons, he will have to get used to seeing his name linked with folk from all sorts of exotic leagues. His squad are now big news and, as owners across the globe look to recoup some of the losses they have incurred because of Covid-19, claiming United are chasing someone now guarantees them plenty of publicity.

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Stay safe and take care. Thank you. James.