Ruben Selles makes Sheffield United transfer admission after answering Vini Souza departure question
Ruben Selles answers Sheffield United transfer question after Vini Souza departure leaves Blades light
Sheffield United are targeting quality rather than quantity in the transfer market this summer, manager Ruben Selles has admitted, as the Blades look to bounce back from last season’s play-off final disappointment and go again this coming season. The Blades lost six loan players at the end of the campaign, and last week sold Vini Souza to German club Wolfsburg.
United have begun to redress the balance by signing winger Ehije Ukaki from Bulgaria and loaning Nottingham Forest defender Tyler Bindon for the season. But Souza’s absence leaves them a man light in midfield while uncertainty about Rhian Brewster’s future, with the out-of-contract forward expected to have kicked his final ball for the Blades, could lead Selles to add another forward to his existing options.
While some Unitedites have grown frustrated about the slow nature of United’s recruitment this summer, with the club’s pre-season campaign officially kicking off on Tuesday night away at York City, Selles is less concerned, insisting that the squad he inherited from Chris Wilder last month is in a good place.
“We are working in different positions to strengthen the team,” the Spaniard told The Star at United’s pre-season training camp in Girona. “As I sad in the beginning, I don’t think we need too much in terms of numbers.
“What we need to bring in is more quality to support the team, that’s the target and that’s not easy. Because the team is already in a very good position. So we need to make sure that we bring the players in who can make the difference for us, but again it’s not going to be like a massive market where we go and get a lot of new players.”
The loss of Souza is an undoubted blow, however, with the Brazilian moving on two years after signing for the Blades ahead of their Premier League return. Souza endured a difficult campaign - but was far from alone in that respect - and turned things around in his second, establishing himself as a firm fans’ favourite as the Blades came within 15 minutes of Wembley glory.
“I didn’t have a chance to speak with Vini,” Selles admitted. “When I landed it was already sorted out, so I didn’t have chance to explain what we want to do. Apparently it was really advanced from his side, and so we move on.”
United arrived in Girona over the weekend to spend a week in the Spanish sun, giving Selles and coaches James Oliver-Pearce and Tobias Loveland a prolonged chance to impart their methods onto United’s squad.
Much of the focus has been on defensive work in the opening part of the week, before moving onto more attacking phases of United’s play ahead of the flight back to England over the weekend. From there United continue their preparations for the new season on UK soil, with a series of domestic friendlies against lower-league opposition already confirmed and two more set to be announced.