Sheffield United's summer transfer plan if relegation happens amid supporters' fire-sale fears

Sheffield United expect to lose "one or two" assets in the summer if their relegation back to the Championship is confirmed, amid fears amongst supporters of a fire-sale to make up for the loss of the Premier League millions. The Blades are bottom of the table with 10 games to go and essentially nine points adrift of safety because of their vastly inferior goal difference.

United have paid the price for their summer recruitment approach which focused on quantity rather than quality, winning just three of their 28 league games so far in a season when two of their relegation rivals, Everton and Nottingham Forest, have been deducted points for overspending and breaching financial rules.

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One of their summer signings, striker Cameron Archer, is obligated to return to boyhood club Aston Villa if the Blades do go down this season while at least one more player would be expected to depart to make up for the shortfall in revenue between the top-flight and the Championship. United's most recent accounts showed a loss of over £30m last season in the second tier and although each United player has a clause cutting their wages upon relegation, chief executive Stephen Bettis confirmed to The Star that there will also be player exits.

"Yes, and it's also a realism as well that there'll probably be a couple of players who don't want to play in the Championship," he admitted. "At that point it's about us doing the right business with them. I can see one or two leaving in the summer, yeah. Without going into detail, we did a few good deals with players ... good business deals which protect the club if we go down as well."

United turned down offers for Anel Ahmedhodzic in the last two transfer windows and the Bosnian defender is expected to be amongst the Blades' most attractive assets, while midfielder Vini Souza - who recently claimed his form this season was worthy of a call-up to the Brazilian national team - is unlikely to view playing in the Championship as advantageous to his career after spells in his homeland, Belgium and Spain in recent seasons.