4 Sheffield United players likely to leave by 11pm on Friday 30th August | OneFootball

The Blades may need to reassess elements of their squad following their relegation last season

Sheffield United faced a dismal Premier League campaign following their promotion the season prior, but now they must put that behind them and re-group to go again.

The Blades recorded the third-lowest points tally since the dawn of the Premier League last term with 16 points; only Sunderland in 2005/06 (15 points) and Derby County in 2007/08 (11 points) have fared worse.

A big re-think is clearly needed at Bramall Lane and Chris Wilder returned towards the end of last season to try and steer the club back on course.

Much focus will undoubtedly be on the reinforcements the Yorkshire club will look to bring in - and the ongoing takeover saga - but to truly freshen the squad, departures will likely be involved too. Here are four players United could wave goodbye to this summer...

Ivo Grbic

Off the back of such an unsuccessful top-flight season, few players escape with their records completely unblemished, but Ivo Grbic's reputation may have suffered more than most.

The former Croatia international only signed for the club in January this year for an undisclosed fee from Atletico Madrid, but The Star have reported that the Yorkshire club are already willing to offload the gloveman this summer, with the player himself said to understand the situation.

Towards the end of last season, when Grbic had been dropped, Wilder said:“He understood that he came to help and he's not helped as much as he'd have liked to have done. I've got to say fair play to the boy, he's not coming in and slamming doors or pointing fingers or whatever."

The 28-year-old turned out nine times in the Premier League for the Blades last season, keeping no clean sheets and conceding 25 goals.

Anel Ahmedhodzic

Anel Ahmedhodzic joined United from Swedish outfit Malmo in 2022 and became a key part of the Blades' defensive unit through their Championship promotion and Premier League struggles.

Transfermarkt currently estimates the centre-back to be the highest-value player at Bramall Lane at £18million, which chimes with the fact that he has garnered interest from top-flight European clubs this year.

The Yorkshire club are still in the process of being taken over, which could produce more freedom to spend once agreed, but the club will still need to cut their cloth according to the situation they find themselves in. That could include selling off saleable assets like Ahmedhodzic.

The 25-year-old himself is also at a stage of his career where he probably wants to challenge himself at the highest possible level and if top-level offers are coming in, few could begrudge him the move.

There is no doubt the club would want to keep hold of the defender in an ideal world, but reality may force the United's hand in this case.

Rhian Brewster

Having come up through the Chelsea and Liverpool academy systems, when Rhian Brewster got his £23.5million move to the Blades at 20 years old, it looked like his time to kick on.

Now heading into the final year of his initial five-year deal, it's fair to say it hasn't quite gone to plan.

He's made 77 appearances since joining the club, scoring five goals and providing one assist across English football's first and second tiers.

With those stats behind him, finding potential suitors may not be the easiest quest, but at 24 years old, the striker still has plenty of years ahead of him and many coaches will believe they can still get something out of him.

The forward appears to have hit a wall at Bramall Lane that looks unlikely to be scaled next season. Rather than lose him for free next summer, if the club can produce any offers for him, they should recoup what they can and get him off the wage books now.

Offers may be more forthcoming for fellow striker Cameron Archer, but his past stint at Middlesbroughshows just how lethal he can be at this level and the club should do everything they can to keep hold of him.

Capology estimates that Brewster currently commands a wage of £35,000 a week, which they believe makes him the highest earner at the club. Previous showings suggest that Brewster may not be a pivotal player next term, so cutting their losses sooner rather than later makes the most sense for the Blades.

Gus Hamer

Much like Ahmedhodzic, Gus Hamer is one of those players that the Blades would like to keep hold of in an ideal world but may be forced into a sale due to their relegation.

Just below the centre-back, Hamer is estimated to be the second-most valuable player at Bramall Lane at £15million.

The 27-year-old was one of the few bright sparks of the Blades' season last term, scoring four goals and providing six assists from midfield, and has already shown what he can do in the Championship with Coventry City the season before his move.

He would undoubtedly be an asset for Wilder's side in the next campaign, but he moved to Bramall Lane to play Premier League football and has proven, as part of a struggling side, that he is suited to that level.

The opportunity to cash in and reinvest the money from Hamer is one that United should consider, rather than carrying what could be an unsettled player at a level below where he may feel he should be. It would be a painful exit after the midfielder has shown what he can do, but it may work for all parties in the long run.