Sheffield United get 'free run' at 'target' as Rio Ferdinand issues 'no value' Man Utd claim

Sheffield United will already be preparing for next season, with Chris Wilder making it clear he wants a fresh start at Bramall Lane following a season to forget. The Blades are expected to have a big turnover of players this summer, but they hope to be promotion contenders even after those changes.

United will be one of the promotion favourites next season, but as has been shown with the likes of Leeds United and Southampton this season, even possessing a strong squad doesn’t guarantee a quick Premier League return. Here we have rounded up all the latest news surrounding the top two tiers as Blades sink from the Premier League to the Championship.

O’Brien opportunity

Sheffield United have previously been linked with a move for Nottingham Forest man Lewis O’Brien, and they may now get their opportunity to sign him. Forest don’t have the 25-year-old in their future plans, and according to the Northern Echo, Middlesbrough have pulled out of the race to sign him.

That could leave the door open to a deal involving the Blades, though Preston North End are also said to be interested. O’Brien spent last season on loan with Middlesbrough, and that’s why Boro were expected to be the favourites to land him on a permanent deal.

Ferdinand on Man Utd recruitment

Rio Ferdinand has taken aim at Manchester United over their poor recruitment over recent years. He told the The Sports Agents podcast: “When you look at the recruitment, I think there's only three players that I can remember coming in and then going, ‘Okay, they've played at a level that you would have expected.’

“Bruno [Fernandes], Cristiano [Ronaldo] and Zlatan [Ibrahimovic]. The only three players I though that you go actually I saw consistently what I expected to see from them. Everyone else just fell well short. For whatever reason it is, they just haven't hit a standard you expect them to come in for. There's no value in them in what you expect. So they have to get to the bottom of that.”