Anel Ahmedhodzic transfer fee confirmed as Sheffield United handed another headache on eve of new season
Anel Ahmedhodzic transfer fee confirmed as Sheffield United handed another headache on eve of new season
Sheffield United have been handed a transfer headache on the eve of the Championship season as defender Anel Ahmedhodzic completed his move to Dutch giants Feyenoord. The Bosnian travelled to the Netherlands for the final touches to be put to the move this week, just days before the start of United’s Championship season.
The 26-year-old had been widely expected to move on this summer after entering the final year of his Blades deal, with discussions over a potential extension failing to reach a satisfactory conclusion ahead of that point.
But he remained in South Yorkshire for the entirety of United’s pre-season friendly campaign, before news of Feyenoord’s interest emerged. Things then moved quickly, with terms agreed with the player’s camp before an agreement was thrashed out with the Blades.
United’s bargaining power was drastically reduced by the player’s contractual situation, with the very real possibility that he could walk away for free next summer - or even agree a pre-contract switch to an overseas club as soon as January.
We understand that the agreed fee was close to £7m, with the Blades also negotiating several bonus clauses in the deal and retaining an interest in the defender going forward through a sell-on clause entitling them to a share of any profit the Dutch giants make if Ahmedhodzic moves on in the future.
Malmo, Ahmedhodzic’s former club, will also be entitled to a share of the fee United receive thanks to a sell-on agreement in the deal which brought him to Bramall Lane in 2022, winning promotion to the Premier League in his first season.
Anel Ahmedhodzic transfer fee confirmed as Sheffield United handed another headache on eve of new season
The move leaves the Blades short at centre-half ahead of this weekend’s season opener at home to Bristol City, with loan man Tyler Bindon their only fit and specialised centre-half as things stand.
Skipper Jack Robinson is on the comeback trail from a pre-season foot issue, while teenager Dovydas Sasnauskas and left-back Rhys Norrington-Davies have both enjoyed substantial game-time at centre-half in United’s warm-up games.
Boss Ruben Selles was already keen to add another defender to his squad, ideally one who could cover at both right-back and centre-half, but will now seek extra defensive reinforcements after losing another of his key men on the eve of the new season.
Midfielder Vini Souza has already departed, moving to German side Wolfsburg, while speculation will continue over Gus Hamer’s future at Bramall Lane. Another Dutch club, PSV Eindhoven, are known to be admirers, as are United’s rivals Leeds United.
Ahmedhodzic’s departure, confirmed in time for Feyenoord’s Eredivisie opener against NAC Breda this weekend, will divide opinion amongst the Blades fanbase.
Some will see it as good business, to effectively double their money on a player whose value was decreasing by the day, while others will have flashbacks to the Iliman Ndiaye and Sander Berge situations, when both were sold on the eve of the season back in 2023 and United never recovered.
Ahmedhodzic was a revelation when he arrived a year earlier, impressing with his offensive abilities as well as defensively and helping the Blades into the Premier League. It was widely expected that he would adjust well to life in the top flight but instead he struggled, as part of a defence that conceded a league-record 104 goals.
He also lost the United captaincy that season, suggesting he was not fit to wear the armband by declining to don a rainbow one on a day that celebrated inclusivity at Bramall Lane. He leaves South Yorkshire having scored 12 goals in 114 appearances.