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Sheffield United willing to flog ‘flop’ this summer

Originally posted on Sheff United Way | By Jake Staniland | Last updated 5/20/24

Sheffield United, as of now, will only have one first team goalkeeper under contract next season. That player is Ivo Grbic. The Croatian was brought to Bramall Lane in the January transfer window from Atletico Madrid for a fee in the region of £2 million.

Unfortunately, the transfer has not paid off; the 28-year-old conceded 25 goals in nine appearances in the Premier League – ending the campaign with a -10.31 goals prevented. In other words, he massively underperformed compared to the shots he faced, conceding ten goals more than what he should have.

Speculation has grown regarding the future of Grbic at the Blades because of his poor performances. And it increased further when the former Atletico shot-stopper was left out of the final matchday of the season in United’s 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at Bramall Lane on Sunday.

Wes Foderingham and Adam Davies said their goodbyes after the full time whistle as the pair are out of contract this summer, and youth academy product Jordan Amissah will also be allowed to leave the club in a couple of weeks time.

Sheffield United could sell Ivo Grbic this summer after just a few months at the club

Speaking about his decision to leave Grbic out, Chirs Wilder told SUTV “It was a decision I made regarding Adam Davies being in, I thought he deserved the opportunity of being part of it.”

According to The Star, Sheffield United are willing to allow Grbic to leave this summer if a suitable offer comes in for the Croatian international.

The goalkeeper situation at Bramall Lane is a complete mess and it has to be addressed this summer with some conviction. The Blades have already missed out on one of their targets: Viktor Johansson – he recently penned a lucrative long-term deal with Stoke City.

There are whispers that Sheffield United are hoping to acquire Anthony Patterson for an £8 million fee from Sunderland. Patterson, who is a boyhood Sunderland fan, is under contract until 2028 and the club supposedly value him at around £15 million.

The Blades must invest in a goalkeeper next season

With the ridiculous mis-management of contracts over the last few years, the Blades have essentially backed themselves into a corner where they now are pretty much forced into splashing the cash on certain positions that they are desperate in. Goalkeeper and left-back being the main focus.

Despite skepticism from the supporters regarding the amount of money Sheffield United will spend this summer, they will be fully aware that they cannot completely ‘cheap out’ on this rebuild.

The club should 100% be looking at free agents such as Paddy McNair for the right centre-back position, but, getting a 24-year-old goalkeeper that has 27 clean sheets in two Championship seasons for £8 million should be seen as a worthwhile investment.

This article first appeared on Sheff United Way and was syndicated with permission.

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