Sheffield United transfers: Recruitment talks underway but important decision yet to be taken

Although the 44-year-old’s primary focus is on preparing for Easter weekend games against Reading and Bristol City, which will go a long way towards deciding if United qualify for the play-offs, an action plan detailing the squad’s wants and needs was communicated to owner HRH Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s associates ahead of Friday’s meeting with Paul Ince’s side.

Warning it would be a mistake for United to only begin canvassing potential targets when they know which division his team will be competing in next term, Heckingbottom also confirmed the majority of his new signings are already likely to be working within English football because post-Brexit work permit regulations make it difficult to attract leading names from overseas.

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Revealing he has met with United’s chief executive Steve Bettis to discuss the issue, Heckingbottom said: “Transfers, I’ve had a conversation with Steve. It still needs firming down.

“My point is, we have to be putting the work in and contacting people so it allows us to make the best possible decision with the players we have got. We can’t just start when the transfer window opens.

“There’s no assurances. We identify the players, that’s important. The players we want, I am confident we will have their appetite to come. Then it’s getting it over the line.”

As The Star recently revealed, Croatia youngster Stipe Radic is viewed as a possible summer acquisition after United’s sister club Beerschot, where the 21-year-old is currently working, were relegated from Belgium’s Jupiler Pro League. Radic’s compatriot Filip Uremovic has excelled since arriving in South Yorkshire after suspending his contract with Rubin Kazan following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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Although political and diplomatic issues prevent him from saying so, Heckingbottom would welcome the prospect of keeping Uremovic beyond June 30 - when he is scheduled to rejoin Leonid Slutsky’s team.

However, he acknowledged: “With (leaving) the EU, it’s changed the market without a doubt. That narrows your field. We want to know the best young players and the ones in our division and the lower leagues.

“The (overseas) ones who qualify for work permits, very few would be within our remit.”

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“If we get in the Premier League and some money is made available, then it changes,” Heckingbottom added. “I speak with (chairman) Yusuf (Giansiracusa) every week, and that’s really important whether we have something to talk about or not. We chat about all sorts of things. There’s more people involved in finances. There’s other people involved in that process.”

United are sixth in the Championship table, two points ahead of Blackburn Rovers in seventh, with five matches of their season remaining. Middlesbrough, now managed by Heckingbottom’s predecessor Chris Wilder, are three behind United but boast a match in hand.

“We want the win and the result,” Heckingbottom added. “Reading will want it as well, for their own reasons. It’s going to be a tough game - that’s what we are preparing for.”

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