Sheffield United have a minimum of five players they must sell in the summer transfer window
Plenty of work is required at Sheffield United in this summer’s transfer window, meaning there will be several arrivals and departures.
The start of the 2026 summer transfer window is now officially just one week away.
The shutters will come up next Monday, marking the beginning of what promises to be a big summer for Sheffield United, who are determined to put their 13th-placed finish in the Championship in 2025/26 behind them.
Manager Chris Wilder, who returned to S2 last September, is determined to add fresh quality to his squad in the form of experience and Championship-ready talent. United’s retained list confirmed four departures alongside the six loanees that have returned to their parent clubs.
It means United’s squad has suddenly shrunk. A decrease in numbers, though, is what Wilder wants amid the bloated squad he had throughout the 2025/26 campaign.
Although ten players have already departed this summer, further departures are expected as the window unfolds, and some members of the squad are more likely to move on than others. With that in mind, The Star has picked five players the Blades should be actively looking to offload this summer.
Ivo Grbić
Recruited from Atletico Madrid in January 2024, Grbić made nine Premier League appearances for the Blades en route to relegation at the end of the 2023/24 season before being replaced by Michael Cooper as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper ahead of the 2024/25 season.
The Croatian spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Turkish club Çaykur Rizespor before returning to Turkey the following season for a season-long loan spell with Fatih Karagümrük S.K. He made 33 appearances for the latter, keeping six clean sheets.
Although Karagümrük, who were relegated from the Turkish top flight this season, are not expected to try and sign Grbić permanently this summer, he is not in United’s plans and is expected to be allowed to leave again this summer, preferably on a permanent deal. It would make sense for both parties to cut ties at this juncture with only a year left on the goalkeeper’s contract.
Nils Zätterström
Zätterström joined United from Swedish club Malmö FF last August, signing a four-year deal. However, the Sweden Under-21 international failed to force his way into the plans of either former Blades boss Rubén Sellés or current chief Wilder, meaning he departed in the January transfer window, joining Italian club Genoa on loan.
The move to Italy featured an option for Genoa to turn the centre-back’s temporary stay into a permanent one, and their head coach, Daniele De Rossi, recently refused to rule out the prospect of taking up that option. The understanding is that United would turn a profit on the 21-year-old if that were to happen, at the agreed price.
But whether he seals a permanent switch to Genoa or not, Zätterström is expected to be moved on by United this summer after revealing earlier this year that he does not suit Wilder’s style of play.
He said: “The coach who brought me there [Sellés] got fired early on. And the new coach [Wilder] had a different playing style and different players he believed in. So, I was often sitting in the stands there.”
With United searching for upgrades at centre-back this summer, it is hard to imagine a scenario where Zätterström will stand any chance of finally getting his Bramall Lane career off the ground.
Rhys Norrington-Davies
Norrington-Davies spent practically all of the 2025/26 season on loan at QPR, making 39 appearances for the Londoners - marking his highest number of appearances in a single campaign since 2020/21. As his appearance tally highlights, he was a regular fixture for the Rs, making the left-back spot his own.
He has now returned to Bramall Lane ahead of pre-season and joins what is already a competitive left-back pool featuring Harrison Burrows and Sam McCallum. West Ham United have recently been linked with a move for Burrows.
Whatever happens on that front, United are understood to be open to letting Norrington-Davies leave. He has just a year left on his contract, meaning it would make good business sense to cash-in on him now following a successful loan spell at QPR, who could declare interest in re-signing him, before running the risk of losing him for free in the not too distant future.
The Wales international, who featured in United’s 4-1 defeat to Bristol City on the opening day of the campaign prior to heading out on loan, has made just 66 appearances for the Blades since joining them almost nine years ago, meaning the time feels right for both parties to go their separate ways.
Alex Matos
United made some questionable calls in last summer’s window, but few of their decisions have aged as badly as the one that saw them sign Matos on a three-year deal from Chelsea. His debut season at Bramall Lane came to an end having made just eight appearances - and the last of those was earned four days after Christmas.
Playing no part in any of United’s last 22 matches of the Championship season, Matos only made the bench for two of those fixtures, last appearing in the matchday squad as an unused substitute when the Blades beat Ipswich Town 3-1 at Bramall Lane on January 24.
It goes without saying he does not feature in Wilder’s plans to take United forward, meaning he is expected to be given the chance to move on this summer and continue his career elsewhere. The Blades plan to strengthen their midfield options this summer by re-signing Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips, meaning a return to S2 for him would push Matos even further down the pecking order.
It would be in the everyone’s best interests to negotiate an exit for Matos and find him a new home where he can rebuild his career after a difficult season in S2.
Tahith Chong
Although Chong arrived at Bramall Lane as an experienced Championship operator, making almost 90 appearances at this level prior to his switch from Luton Town last August, he has done very little to convince United’s supporters that he can have a long-term future at the club. He made 22 appearances in his debut season in S2, providing just one assist.
The winger, who will represent Curaçao at this summer’s World Cup, rarely made his mark on games, struggling to impose himself in the way he had at this level previously with Birmingham City and then Luton. It is because of that inconsistency that he is another member of Wilder’s squad that faces an uncertain future.
Andre Brooks has installed himself as United’s right-winger-in-chief, meaning there is very little chance of Chong leapfrogging him to the top of the pecking order. A multi-million pound signing less than 12 months ago, United will want to avoid as big a loss as possible on him if he is to move on this summer.
United will be hoping a fairytale World Cup campaign for Curaçao, coupled with an impressive showing or two from Chong, could put him in the shop window and create a market for him this summer.