Sheffield United make big Ivo Grbic transfer decision ahead of big Bramall Lane summer overhaul
Decision made on Ivo Grbic’s Sheffield United future after unconvincing start to life at Bramall Lane
Sheffield United will allow goalkeeper Ivo Grbic to leave Bramall Lane this summer, The Star understands, if they receive a suitable offer, just months after the Croatian arrived from Atletico Madrid. The 28-year-old was brought to South Yorkshire in January from the Spanish giants but has had a nightmare time in English football, conceding 32 goals in his 10 appearances in a Blades shirt.
Having been immediately installed as United’s No.1 goalkeeper after arriving, amid uncertainty over Wes Foderingham’s contract situation, a series of unconvincing displays saw Grbic lose his place to Foderingham for the back end of this season - which came to an end yesterday against Tottenham Hotspur at Bramall Lane, with Grbic absent from the United squad and Davies on the bench.
The move has simply not worked out as anyone would have hoped, with Grbic said to be understanding of the situation, and United will look to recoup their investment ahead of a search for a new goalkeeper this summer. Foderingham will leave the Blades when his contract officially expires on June 30th, alongside youngster Jordan Amissah, while back-up stopper Davies could remain at Bramall Lane for next season.
United will also listen to offers for Anis Slimane and Benie Traore, the striker on loan at Nantes in Ligue 1, while Ismaila Coulibaly - currently on a temporary deal at AIK - will also be allowed to leave if a suitable offer is received. The Blades expect transfer interest in Anel Ahmedhodzic and Vini Souza this summer after relegation and both would leave if their valuations are matched by rival clubs.
“Ivo understood the situation,” said Wilder of his decision to drop Grbic after last month’s heavy defeat at home to Burnley. “He understood that he came to help and he's not helped as much as he'd have liked to have done. I've got to say fair play to the boy, he's not coming in and slamming doors or pointing fingers or whatever. And I think that's quite refreshing because it's quite easy to chuck your arms up in the air and point fingers, and not accept responsibility.
“It's quite easy to do that but first of all, you've got to look in the mirror and make sure your performance is spot on. As someone once told me, when you're pointing one finger at someone else there are three coming back at you, so make sure you've got no opportunity to open it up to criticism going the other way.”
Grbic spent three and a half years in Madrid as back up to Jan Oblak, making just 14 senior appearances for Diego Simeone’s side. He played 28 times in a loan spell at Lille in 2021/22 and Wilder insists that United did the right amount of “due diligence” on Grbic before bringing him to Bramall Lane in a deal worth around £2.5m and until the summer of 2027.
“We did our homework on him. It was a situation where we all, supporters as well, talked about it,” the United chief added. “We needed strength in that department, competition and whatever. We did due diligence on it, it's just unfortunate that it's not gone as well as all of us would have liked it to have gone.”