“One of best...” - Anel Ahmedhodzic’s Sheffield United future on agenda as transfer speculation addressed
Anel Ahmedhodzic’s Sheffield United future on agenda as Chris Wilder addresses transfer speculation
Tying down Anel Ahmedhodzic to a longer-term contract at Bramall Lane is on Sheffield United’s agenda, manager Chris Wilder has admitted, as the Bosnian defender edges closer to the final year of his current deal. The 25-year-old signed an initial four-year deal after arriving from Malmö in Sweden back in 2022.
He has since helped the Blades win promotion and reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup but also endured a difficult season in the Premier League last term as the Blades were relegated at the first time of asking. He has recovered well with another strong campaign this time around, however, and made his 100th appearance for the Blades in last weekend’s 2-1 win at QPR.
Ahmedhodzic became only the seventh player in the Blades’ long history from outside the UK and Republic of Ireland to reach that milestone and after a difficult time recently off the pitch he is a player who receives a lot of love from Blades fans, with a lengthy rendition of his terrace chant ringing into the London sky at Loftus Road last weekend.
“We've been through a couple of difficult periods,” said boss Wilder ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Preston North End at Bramall Lane. “There was one last season when it was difficult and there was a lot of speculation about his future. But he's got his head on. I thought he was outstanding from the first day he came back to pre-season.
“He had to get his head down and get in the side, first and foremost. And his performance at Preston was outstanding. He's been consistently very good all season. So his attitude's good, he's a popular boy amongst the players. He gives everything. We're always pushing him to be better but there has been a lot of interest in him and I am okay with that.
“There's interest because he has been putting in some top performances and hopefully he’s one we can really lean on in the last quarter of the season. We all need to put top performances in but when he is at his best, he is one of the best in the division.”
As things stand Ahmedhodzic will become a free agent in the summer of 2026, although it is currently unknown if his contract contains an option in either party’s favour to extend it. In the recent past United have cashed in on any of their saleable assets who have entered the final year of their deal, the most notable examples being Iliman Ndiaye and Sander Berge after promotion in 2023.
Asked if he would like to see Ahmedhodzic extend his stay at Bramall Lane, Wilder admitted: “Definitely. There always has to be, from their point of view, if they want to buy into what we’re about as well. Of course, you want to build and it’s something that I have talked about.
“We are still just seven or eight months into a build and you want to keep your best players and I don’t want to lose any. And if we do, it has to be for the right price. I don’t want to stop players from going into that big league but I’d like to think that, if we are successful this year, then we can realise all those ambitious young players' dreams.
“There's work to be done as we know but Anel is definitely on the agenda and hopefully there will be a positive outcome to the talks between Anel, his agent and us.”