Chris Francis Sheffield United situation clarified as trialist nears transfer switch

Sheffield United could not match the offer from a rival club - reported to be Crystal Palace - for young defender Chris Francis, who had impressed in two trial outings for the Blades. The defender was a free agent after leaving Bournemouth and rejected a couple of offers to join United on trial, but has now moved on with a transfer elsewhere thought to be imminent.

Francis linked up with United before their trip to Portugal, featuring in friendlies against Chesterfield and Estoril, with a decision set to be made on whether or not to offer him a contract at Bramall Lane by the end of last week. But that was taken out of United’s hands by an offer from elsewhere, which United could not match - with assistant manager Stuart McCall insisting that the Blades’ coaching staff had not taken a definite decision on Francis either way.

Reports last week intimated that the club in question was United’s opening-day opponents Crystal Palace, meaning Francis could be back at Bramall Lane as soon as August 12 - albeit in the opposition dressing room. From United’s point of view there is certainly no animosity over Francis’ decision.

“In all fairness to Chris, he could have signed for a couple of clubs before he came out with us,” United’s assistant manager Stuart McCall told The Star. “He wanted to give it a go with us. He was a really good kid, he was popular, and he did fine. But another team came in and gave him an offer that we couldn’t match.

“We were going to have a closer look at him, but while we were out in Portugal something else transpired and he’s moved to another club. And we wish him well, because he settled in when he came in. Listen, you move on. We’d not made him a concrete offer, so it was not like he turned us down. We were going to wait until the end of the week and see what could have cropped up, and then out of the blue something happened. It’s not one we were distraught about, mainly because we had not made our full minds up. But good luck to the kid.”

Slimane catches eye again in United player ratings v Girona

Francis attracted United’s attention because of his cultured left foot, with boss Paul Heckingbottom admitting that left-sided defenders within United’s transfer reach are hardly in plentiful supply. The Blades are keen to secure reinforcements in that particular area of the pitch, with Jack Robinson the only senior left-centre half on their books following the summer departures of Ciaran Clark and Jack O’Connell.

United’s lack of options in that area forced them into a change of formation in their friendly at Rotherham United on Tuesday night, with Robinson joining Chris Basham in a back four. United reverted to a back three in their clash with Girona on Wednesday afternoon, with youngster Miguel Freckleton - yet to make a senior apperance for the Blades - operating on the left of defence for the majority of the 2-0 defeat against the La Liga side.