Sheffield United boss responds to George Baldock transfer talk after AEK Athens links

Paul Heckingbottom, the Sheffield United manager, has poured cold water on transfer talk linking defender George Baldock with a move to AEK Athens. The Greek international reportedly emerged as a target for the Super League side, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano causing concern amongst Blades fans by reporting that “talks were taking place”.

Baldock has been linked with Greek clubs before, after obtaining Greece citizenship and making his international debut for Gus Poyet’s side. He is one of a number of players whose contract is set to expire at the end of the season, as things stand, but is understood to be happy and settled in Sheffield. United also hold options in their favour to extend a number of player contracts by a further season.

The 30-year-old, who signed from MK Dons in 2017 and has since established himself as a real fans’ favourites with his wholly-committed performances in a Blades shirt, missed Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup clash with Lincoln City as a slight calf injury that caused him to miss out against Nottingham Forest earlier in the month is managed.

But he was at Bramall Lane to cheer on his teammates and speaking ahead of tomorrow’s crunch Premier League clash at home to Everton, boss Heckingbottom insisted: “He’s not going. He’s not going. I want to make sure we get players in and I get my feet up. Why would we? If we’re not in a position to bring players in why would we let him go? So yeah, we’ve done that. We’ve ended that. Not selling any more players. We’re going to try and get some in.”

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Heckingbottom sold two of his prized assets, in Sander Berge and Iliman Ndiaye, earlier in the window and after making Luke Thomas of Leicester City his ninth summer signing yesterday, he hopes to seal a deal for former loanee James McAtee in time for him to face Sean Dyche’s side tomorrow afternoon.