Sheffield United are preparing for a potentially hectic summer transfer window.

The Blades had a disappointing 2025-26 Championship campaign, ending 13th in the table following a difficult early season.

Chris Wilder’s team reached the play-off final just a year ago, but fell 13 points short of keeping their position in the top six.

The South Yorkshire team was never in contention for promotion this season, having to climb out of the relegation zone early on.

Wilder will be aiming for a stronger start to next season, with the goal of returning his boyhood club to the Premier League.

The transfer market allows Sheffield United to upgrade their first-team roster before the new season begins, although one player has been confirmed as a surprise departure.

Sheffield United confirms stunning contract U-turn for Jairo Riedewald.

Sheffield United have stated that Jairo Riedewald’s tenure with the club has come to an end, following the announcement of their retained list for the summer.

After leaving Dutch club Royal Antwerp, the midfielder joined the Championship side as a free agent in October.

However, the club has declared that he will not have his contract renewed, despite prior indications that his contract option would be activated, and that he would prefer a longer-term agreement to stay at Bramall Lane.

The 29-year-old proved a popular figure under Wilder, appearing 25 times in the Championship and scoring three goals.

Sheffield United have also confirmed that Tom Davies, Danny Ings, and Ben Mee have left Bramall Lane, as was expected. Meanwhile, Adam Davies’ deal includes an option to extend his stay with the club for another 12 months.

Supporters have voiced their displeasure with the news that Riedewald has played his final game for the Blades, with some speculating that his salary may have been an issue, especially given the new Championship financial constraints that clubs voted on last week.

Riedewald has been commended for his role in turning around the team’s fortunes, alongside November addition Patrick Bamford, with another United fan perplexed by his departure.

Fans will mourn the former Crystal Palace midfielder, who was seen as one of Wilder’s few players capable of commanding a game.

Meanwhile, one Sheffield United fan speculated that this deal may pave the way for Kalvin Phillips to return to the club after spending the second part of the season on loan from Manchester City.

However, no official agreement has been reached about Phillips’ future, who is due to return to the Etihad Stadium this summer, and the Blades may once again require Man City’s assistance in the form of a heavily-incentivised loan deal.

Jairo Riedewald’s departure is a setback to Sheffield United.

Riedewald was a wise purchase for Sheffield United, and he was a key part of the club’s turnaround after a terrible start under Wilder, so his departure is a significant blow to the squad.

Perhaps the new financial restrictions influenced this decision, but that has yet to be confirmed, which would be unfortunate timing for the Yorkshire team, especially given that they will no longer get parachute payments in the next campaign.

The club opted last week to implement a Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) structure for the upcoming season, which will define how much money they can lawfully spend.

This system limits spending on players and managers to a percentage of their revenue, with the allowance set at 85%. With Wilder looking for new faces at Bramall Lane, it appears that the Dutch midfielder may be a casualty of the shifting laws and regulations.