Positive signs for Sheffield United over key players' contract futures as Chris Wilder drops Hamza Choudhury hint
Chris Wilder is hopeful of good news on new deals for several Sheffield United players, while also revealing his desire to keep Hamza Choudhury at Bramall Lane.
The players Sheffield United are hoping to tie down to longer-term contracts all see their immediate futures at Bramall Lane, Chris Wilder has insisted, with the Blades boss hopeful of some good news for supporters soon. A number of players are approaching key stages of their United careers.
Femi Seriki is out of contract next summer, as things stand, while the likes of Sydie Peck, Michael Cooper and Harrison Burrows will enter the final 18 months of their present deals in the new year.
United have begun the process of looking to tie them down, to protect their assets and avoid a repeat of recent transfer windows when the likes of Gus Hamer, Sander Berge and Iliman Ndiaye have been sold after entering their final 12 months.
“It's not all been good news so far this season,” said Wilder ahead of this evening’s clash with Wrexham. “I don't think I've been controversial with that statement.
“So, hopefully, the younger players, the Femis and the other players that we're looking to tie down and add and extend their contracts, that'll give us a little bit of good news to the supporters.
“We’re moving closer. Carl [Shieber] and Steve [Bettis] are working overtime with agents but the most important thing is that those players see their immediate futures with us, which is good. They want to sign.
“They’re not pushing to get away, they see their immediate future here and rightly so. They get coached well, they get looked after. They've got a manager who thinks a lot about them and wants to build a team to compete.
“To be consistent and to reach our ceilings. To get the stats up and to change the negativity and to win games of football.
“It isn't easy, though. It's quite a complicated business that we work in. As I've said all along, there are quite a lot of challenges that people really don't, at times, understand and recognise. But I'm not expecting them to. That's why I do the job and try and push and push our club forward.”
As well as those players at the younger end of the scale, Wilder also hopes to tie down Hamza Choudhury to a new deal. The former Leicester City man only signed a one-year deal when he arrived in the summer.
“It was frees and loans at the start of the season,” Wilder added. “He was coveted by a lot of clubs and decided to come to us. His versatitiy is great, he gives absolutely everything day in, day out.
“He gave everything for Enzo Maresca when they won the Championship at Leicester a couple of years ago. He has done in my time. That's the reason, especially when you have to make quick decisions and it's not going back to players that have played for you.
“But I know the character inside and out and I'm not waiting two or three months to learn about a player. I know about them and they hit the ground running.
“Of course, the ceiling's high and we're trying to reach that with everybody. But definitely, a smart bit of business for us and certainly somebody I want to keep around.”