Sheffield United’s under-the-radar transfer business could prove vital for club’s long-term future

Paul Heckingbottom has hailed the “important” work in the transfer market that will have gone under the radar for many Sheffield United supporters, with a number of promising youngsters added to the club’s depleted academy ranks. The Blades’ stock of young talent has been frequently raided in recent times, with Kylan Midwood and Will Lankshear amongst the starlets poached by rival clubs.

Heckingbottom’s wish to bolster the academy ranks was hampered by a transfer embargo back in January, which scuppered hopes of signing the likes of Chelsea’s Silko Thomas and Ethan Brierley, the Rochdale youngster who impressed on trial with United but subsequently joined Brentford’s academy instead.

But United began to redress the balance over the summer, signing forwards Jevan Beattie, the son of former Blades striker Craig, from Motherwell, and Hamilton Academical’s Ryan Oné, before returning north of the border to bring in defender Evan Easton from Glasgow giants Celtic. They were joined at Bramall Lane by Jay Tinsdale, a midfielder from Bradford City who can also play at full-back and although none attracted the same headlines as the captures of Cameron Archer, Gus Hamer or James McAtee, boss Heckingbottom was still pleased to get them done, in conjunction with head of academy Del Geary and head of academy player recruitment Steve Holmes.

“Yeah, for the health of the club it’s important,” said the United chief, formerly the club’s U23 boss appointed with a remit of developing young players and helping the Blades become a self-sustainable club. “We were getting low on numbers and we’re not flush. So many clubs spend so much on players that you’ll never hear about, because it goes straight into the academy or the under-21s.

Explainer - Sheffield United financial state of play including player sales stance

“We spent £10,000 on Iliman [Ndiaye] who went for however much money. Jebbo [Daniel Jebbison] and Will [Osula] out of little soccer schools, playing in the team. Lads coming through on our own like Andre Brooks, or Oli Arblaster, Harry Boyes and Harrison Neal, who are out on their own in the league. You can do so much but if you want to develop your own and make money that way, then it needs investment.

“We’d sold a couple out of the academy that we hadn’t replaced and now we have. We’ve added to it. And it’s not only those players that you can hopefully sell and make millions on; they may just become good squad players in your first team. They’re free players. They may aid the development of other players in the group because you’ve raised the standards. We’re not going to be spending big money on it but we need to be able to back Del and Holmesy in the academy recruitment, to strengthen where they think is important.”

Powerful striker Oné already looks a real find, getting on the scoresheet in midweek as United’s U21s continued their fine start to the season by beating Hull City 3-0 at Bramall Lane. Striker Benie Traore added a brace, one from the penalty spot, and was denied a hat-trick by the offside flag after a fine acrobatic effort.