Sheffield United outcast could be handed transfer lifeline as nightmare Blades spell approaches inevitable end
Sheffield United outcast could be handed transfer lifeline as nightmare Blades spell approaches inevitable end
Sheffield United outcast Ismaila Coulibaly could be offered a transfer lifeline as his nightmare spell at Bramall Lane approaches an inevitable end. The 23-year-old midfielder has played just nine times for United since signing just over four years ago, and is unlikely to make another first-team appearance before his contract finally expires in the summer.
The Malian missed his chance to impress on his last outing, in the League Cup defeat away at Barnsley earlier this season, and that made up the minds of many Blades supporters as to his future in South Yorkshire. He hasn’t been seen since and was even absent from the official United team photo when it was taken earlier this month at the Shirecliffe academy.
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A fresh start could be beneficial for all parties, with reports in Norway suggesting that Fredrikstad FK, who finished sixth in the Norwegian top flight earlier this year, could offer Coulibaly a lifeline ahead of the start of their new season in March. Coulibaly scored twice in 13 games on loan at AIK in Sweden recently before returning to Bramall Lane for pre-season, but United are unlikely to stand in his way if they receive an approach when the window opens again for business.
Coulibaly has also been linked with Beerschot, the Blades’ sister club in the United World empire that they will exit when the US-led consortium looking to buy the club tie up a deal with current owner Prince Abdullah. Coulibaly was once curiously linked with Italian giants AC Milan but no approach was ever believed to have materialised.