Following last season’s disappointing Championship performance, Chris Wilder faces a crucial summer as Sheffield United’s manager.

The Blades finished 13th in the second tier last season, 13 points behind sixth-place Hull City, who earned promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs.

Wilder’s side reached the Championship play-off final in 2025, and they will require a good summer transfer window to reestablish promotion credentials ahead of the next season.

Intriguingly, Sheffield United traded Andre Brooks to second-tier rivals Norwich City on Thursday, despite the winger making 39 league appearances last season, scoring six goals and assisting twice.

Chris Wilder will be very pleased with one Sheffield United player’s fitness ahead of the next season.

This week, the Blades received the Championship fixture list for next season and learned that their first game will be at home against Birmingham City.

Sheffield United’s other significant fixtures next season include a Boxing Day match against Kim Hellberg’s Middlesbrough and a final-day trip to Southampton.

Meanwhile, despite Brooks’ departure, Wilder needs put together a group capable of competing for promotion from the Championship next season.

The second-tier play-offs have been enlarged to include the clubs finishing seventh and eighth next season, increasing the South Yorkshire club’s chances of promotion to the Premier League.

However, as Wilder plans a successful summer transfer window, he will be mindful of how much of a boost current player Oli Arblaster’s condition represents.

Last season, the gifted midfielder was troubled by injuries, limiting him to only 21 Championship matches, nine of which he started.

However, when on form, the 22-year-old can be a top player in the second tier, as he demonstrated in the early stages of the 2024/25 season before sustaining an ACL injury in a Steel City Derby win against Sheffield Wednesday.

Arblaster also made 12 Premier League appearances for the Blades in 2023/24, demonstrating his long-standing popularity at Bramall Lane.

Despite his aforementioned fitness issues, the Sheffield United academy graduate has never made more appearances for one club in a season than the 26 he made while on loan with Port Vale in 2023/24, even though he returned to Bramall Lane before the season ended.

Arblaster is currently healthy and firing ahead of the new season, which will please Wilder because the 22-year-old is a valuable asset who has frequently been unavailable in previous months.

When at his peak, the former Vale loanee is a metronome who can help the Blades manage the pace of games against top-tier Championship opponents.

Oli Arblaster’s role will become more vital if Sydie Peck leaves Bramall Lane.

However, as Wilder plans a successful summer transfer window, he will be mindful of how much of a boost current player Oli Arblaster’s condition represents.

Last season, the gifted midfielder was troubled by injuries, limiting him to only 21 Championship matches, nine of which he started.

However, when on form, the 22-year-old can be a top player in the second tier, as he demonstrated in the early stages of the 2024/25 season before sustaining an ACL injury in a Steel City Derby win against Sheffield Wednesday.

Arblaster also made 12 Premier League appearances for the Blades in 2023/24, demonstrating his long-standing popularity at Bramall Lane.

Despite his aforementioned fitness issues, the Sheffield United academy graduate has never made more appearances for one club in a season than the 26 he made while on loan with Port Vale in 2023/24, even though he returned to Bramall Lane before the season ended.

Arblaster is currently healthy and firing ahead of the new season, which will please Wilder because the 22-year-old is a valuable asset who has frequently been unavailable in previous months.

When at his peak, the former Vale loanee is a metronome who can help the Blades manage the pace of games against top-tier Championship opponents.

Oli Arblaster’s role will become more vital if Sydie Peck leaves Bramall Lane.

Wilder understands that he must complete a significant rebuild at Bramall Lane in the transfer market this summer, and the decision to allow Brooks to join Norwich demonstrates that the Blades manager is not hesitant to split ways with key players.

West Ham United are interested in Sydie Peck after being relegated to the Championship, according to The Athletic.

The Hammers will need a new midfielder this summer, as Mateus Fernandes is unlikely to continue at the London Stadium after being linked with Manchester United.

Meanwhile, if Peck leaves Bramall Lane, Arblaster will have more starting opportunities, and Wilder will be pleased with the 22-year-old’s fitness moving into next season.