Sheffield United are in for a ruthless summer of cutting player costs as they gear up for their first Championship campaign without parachute payments since the 2018/19 season.
That was emphasised in their retained list as Jairo Riedewald, who was one of the Blades’ more important players under Chris Wilder last season, would be set to leave the club at the culmination of his contract.
This was despite reports earlier this month stating that Sheffield United were keen to exercise the one-year option they had on the Dutchman’s deal, after he agreed to an extension to his short-term contract back in December.
Whether it’s an indication that the Blades want to go down the Kalvin Phillips route this summer to bolster their midfield or not is still to be discovered, but either way, the decision to let the 29-year-old walk is one that’s left Sheffield United fans scratching their heads.
But, in the midst of all that confusion, there’ll no doubt be rival Championship sides looking to take advantage, and Derby County should be right at the front of that queue.
Jairo Riedewald would be the perfect replacement for outgoing loans at Derby County
John Eustace also has some decisions to make this summer regarding replacing some important players who excelled on loan at Pride Park in their play-off push this season.
Crystal Palace loanee David Ozoh has finally hit good fitness levels in his second temporary spell at Derby, after only making 10 appearances all last season, and between himself and Lewis Travis, plus Ebou Adams pre-January move to Portsmouth and Bobby Clark stepping in at times when either has been injured, the Rams have had a brilliant midfield pivot all year.
Unfortunately, Travis is the only contracted player out of those who will be at the club next season, as Championship Young Player of the Year nominee Clark is also set to return to his parent club, RB Salzburg, this summer.
And while Oscar Fraulo has the potential to step up in both of their absences next season, if Derby can’t secure either Clark or Ozoh on a further loan or even permanent deals, extra bodies will need to come in to add competition.
Riedewald could easily be one of those new signings, providing further experience in the engine room alongside captain Travis, and as a free transfer, it would open up the possibility of spending elsewhere to bolster the squad as a whole.
Jairo Riedewald has the quality to compete in a play-off chasing side such as Derby County
Riedewald didn’t have much time to get up to speed at Sheffield United, being brought to the club mid-season as one of Chris Wilder’s first signings back at Bramall Lane.
After leaving Belgian side Royal Antwerp last summer, he didn’t spend pre-season on the books of any club. Before then, he had played just 18 league games in his final three years at Crystal Palace, so it’s safe to say that he likely wasn’t as match-sharp as some of his opponents last season.
Having said that, he still put in numerous strong performances at Bramall Lane when available, and he was a mainstay in the side who began climbing away from the relegation zone and into outside play-off contention heading into the new year.
Unfortunately, his injury in January, which took him out until late February, saw results start to falter, and the Blades couldn’t get back on track even with the Dutchman returning to the side.
Now, with the opportunity of joining a club in the coming weeks and having a full pre-season with them, the solid numbers that he put up at times throughout the recent campaign at Sheffield United can definitely become a lot more consistent, and Derby should be eager to ensure they’re the club that benefits from it.
It would be a blow to lose Clark or Ozoh this summer, given their contributions to what has been their most successful campaign since their run to the play-off final under Frank Lampard back in 2019, but bringing Riedewald in as a replacement would be a good way to soften that.
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