Sheffield United boss drops future transfer hint over Blades' wildcard signings after pre-season exposure
What Ruben Selles said about Ehije Ukaki and Jefferson Caceres’ Sheffield United futures after pre-season exposure
Sheffield United wildcard signings Ehije Ukaki and Jefferson Caceres could still be allowed to continue their footballing development away from Bramall Lane this coming season, Ruben Selles has hinted, despite the Blades chief insisting that the pair are "as dynamic as anyone in the division."
Unitedites have had their first glimpses of Ukaki and Caceres in pre-season after their arrivals this year, Ukaki signing from Bulgarian side Botev Plovdiv this summer six months or so after Caceres' move from Melgar in his homeland of Peru.
That switch, along with the arrival of Christian Nwachukwu from Plovdiv, signalled the start of a different approach in the transfer market from United, who were keen to tap into different markets and discover hidden gems.
That continued recently with the arrival of Mihail Polendakov, from Septemvri Sofia - another Bulgarian club and one in which James Bord, the former poker player now shaping United's recruitments, holds a minority stake.
But if Selles gets the remaining pieces of the jigsaw puzzle he hopes to put in place before the end of the transfer window - including another midfielder and a right-back - then the likes of Caceres and Polendakov could be pushed down the pecking order.
It seems inconceivable that they will be allowed to fester in the U21s rather than playing first-team football, raising the possibility of them being allowed out on loan - a notion that Selles hardly shut down this week in his latest conversations with the local media.
"For the moment they are part of our squad," Selles said, after utilising Ukaki and Caceres in pre-season. "They are playing minutes. They are dynamic and they are the kind of players we want.
What Ruben Selles said about Ehije Ukaki and Jefferson Caceres’ Sheffield United futures after pre-season exposure
"Where they will be at the end of the transfer window is going to depend on their performance and where we are at as a club. We coach all the players as if they are first-team players. We try to develop them as we do everyone, not just those below certain ages.
“Everyone needs to go up one level and I'm satisfied with what they have been doing. Obviously we have our internal discussions about what we need in the market but I work with them as if they are going to be our players for the rest of the season."
Both Caceres and Ukaki were on the scoresheet in Saturday's friendly victory over Chesterfield, the Blades running out 4-1 victors, while a succession of injury issues has delayed any chance of Nwachukwu making an impact in English football.
"With some positions, those players who are coming in are really young and they have some talent," Selles added of Ukaki and Caceres. "They need to get used to the speed of the game and everything in England because it's quite different from where they come from.
"They are as dynamic as anyone in the division, so they will have a role to play. We still need to see with the market what is out there in this kind of role, but for the moment their application has been excellent and the way we work, we try to improve everyone.
"And I think that's what they will do as they train with us and never say never. Things can happen and you may need something different. But I'm happy for the moment with what they have been doing. Unfortunately Christian was injured in one of the first sessions we had and hasn't been able to train or play games for us."