Sheffield United ready to look abroad in the search for transfer opportunities
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Despite signing primarily British based players in recent seasons, United have also shown themselves to be adept at identifying opportunities in other countries with Anel Ahmedhodzic, previously of Malmo, proving a huge hit since arriving at Bramall Lane. Since winning promotion from the Championship, reports linking Heckingbottom and his staff with a number of potential targets from France have begun appearing in the European media. Although many of those are beyond United’s financial reach, with owner Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud actively searching for backers capable of boosting the resources at Heckingbottom’s disposal, the 45-year-old has confirmed he is ready to cast his net far and wide in the search for talent capable of helping his squad establish itself in the top-flight.
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“We look everywhere,” he told The Star. “Obviously it’s easier at times with people who are here (in the UK) because, seeing as we want good characters as well as players, there’s always someone you know then who you can ring up and have a chat with them about. That’s not always the case elsewhere. But we do have ‘people’ and we never limit ourselves.”
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Hide AdDetailing Ahmedhodzic’s journey to South Yorkshire towards the end of last term, Heckingbottom continued: “He’d been at (Nottingham) Forest, where he’d worked with Jack (Lester, United’s head of player development) so he already knew he’d fit in with us as a person. Then it was a case of showing him how he’d fit in with us and that he was perfect for what we were trying to do. Anel agreed and that’s why he set his heart, despite lots of interest from elsewhere, on coming to us.”
Faitout Maouassa, the Club Brugge full-back, is the latest name credited with attracting interest from United following his spell on loan with Montpellier. Strasbourg’s Habib Diallo, who could command a fee which covers Heckingbottom’s entire budget, was also mooted in some quarters earlier this summer.
“We’ve got to be clever,” Heckingbottom said. “Find those niches.”