Sheffield United “have already identified” key transfer replacement as chairman reveals "must-sign" verdict

Harrison Burrows enjoyed a spectacular first season at Championship level with Sheffield United, being named in the second-tier team of the season and helping the Blades come within 90 minutes of promotion to the Premier League. There is a sense at Bramall Lane that there is much more to come from the 23-year-old left-back.

But that hasn’t prevented United from keeping one eye on the future, as well, with the Blades’ recruitment team already reportedly identifying Burrows’ replacement should he move on - ironically, from his former club Peterborough United.

The Blades have kept tabs on Posh left-back Harley Mills, according to their chairman Darragh MacAnthony, and are said to have earmarked him as a potential successor to his former clubmate in the future.

The claim was one of many eye-catching ones on a typically-honest episode of the Posh owner’s Hard Truths podcast, in which he claimed that Mills’ family were ‘not making things easy’ in terms of tying the 19-year-old down to a new deal amid talk of interest from Fulham and Scottish giants Celtic.

“We’ve had bids for some of our premium young players,” MacAnthony revealed on the latest episode of his podcast this week. “There's been a lot of stuff in the press, but unless they're blockbuster offers, you want to keep them because we think what [James] Dornelly, Mills, players like that will be in a year's time. Really important.

“Obviously we're trying with Harley to sign a new deal, but his dad’s not been easy on that one. You know, we want to make and Rio [Adebisi] our two left-backs. I'd love a Harrison story for Harley, to break in and be one of the players of the season. And I think he's got it in him.

Wilder has already addressed Arblaster's future as interest resurfaces

United offer some clarity on pre-season plans as decisions explained

United outperform European champions (& Owls) in key metric

“But if his dad runs down his contract and whatever else, I just think it's the wrong move. Dornelly and his family saw sense last year, signed a deal and he kicked on and had a good season. I want Harley to do the same and settle down.

“And I certainly don't want our younger academy-based players trying to hold us as a club to ransom, because I think that's wrong. Because we give them the platform, and we've made that clear. Forget about Harley for a minute ... to a lot of our younger players in the Academy, if you and your families are going to play games with us, we're not playing that game.

“And we've been fortunate that some players and their families have all signed long-term deals because they believe in the project. And then you get other players when families get overly involved and it becomes about money. “

Sheffield United target’s future takes fresh twist as chairman reveals Blades interest

Mills’ future took another twist recently when he joined a different agency stable, with his current deal at London Road set to expire next summer and discussions over a new one yet to reach a breakthrough.

“I only want parents and family involved about careers, not money,” MacAnthony added. “That's what I want. Talk to me about my 19-20 year old son and what he's going to do in future and college and whatever else, and I want to talk about his career. I want to talk about the work, is he going to enjoy it? The money will follow if he’s successful.

For the latest Blades news straight to your inbox, sign up for The Star’s free Sheffield United newsletter

The Star has a dedicated Sheffield United WhatsApp Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click here to join

“I'm certainly not going to be all about the money now. And that's how I feel about that. So I'm hoping Gary, Harry's dad and whatever else [see sense]. I think he signed up with a massive big agency now, a big top agency that used to represent Gareth Bale and Jack Grealish and Co. And that's great, and that's fine.

“But we want him to be the left back of now for us, not the left back of some under-21 academy, even though it might benefit us by many seven figures. We want him to be a star next year in League One. But I don't want to overpay for 19-20 year olds, because I think it's fundamentally wrong that they get money too quickly.

Sheffield United issue “must-sign” verdict on Harrison Burrows replacement - chairman

“All of my young players are on contracts where the more they play, the more they earn. I won't break that because it's right that they all earn it. Just because you've done well for a few games or did great ... you've got to earn it.

“Like really earn it. And I think something fundamentally wrong with football is that too many of these young players get paid too quickly, too early, and it ruins them. I've been preaching that for years. So let's see.

“And by the way, just to let you know, the head scout at Sheffield United who recruited him sent in a ‘must sign’ report on Harley Mills as Harrison's replacement. I got a snippet of the report and it said: ‘If we sell Burrows to the Premier League, [Mills is] a perfect replacement.’

“They’re essentaially the same player ... create loads of goals, take all the set pieces and are attacking full backs who are improving defensively. A wand of a left foot. And I'm not trying to sell Harley to Sheffield United, I'm just throwing things out there. I'm very proud of seeing Harrison's journey, and equally other young players of ours.”