Ahmedhodzic Set to Leave Sheffield United Leaving Blades With Huge Hole to Fill; Who Could They Replace Him With? | OneFootball

Feyenoord have reportedly pursued Sheffield United defender Anel Ahmedhodzic for months, but only decided to accelerate their interest after pulling out of a deal for Middlesbrough’s Rav van den Berg at the last minute, per Telegraaf.

Van den Berg negotiations stalled after Middlesbrough rejected two bids from Feyenoord and were unwilling to meet the club’s valuation. With van den Berg out of reach, Feyenoord shifted focus to Ahmedhodzic. The Bosnian defender is scheduled to undergo a medical in Rotterdam tomorrow at Feyenoord’s training complex, potentially completing his move within 24 hours if all goes smoothly.

It is now being reported that Feyenoord are not expected to break their transfer record, currently set at €10 million, and are reportedly paying under £8.7 million (€10 million) for United’s only current standout centre-back, per 1908. Plus, Malmo FF have a sell‑on clause entitling them to 13 % of any future profit exceeding €4.5 million, as reported on Transfermarkt.

With Ahmedhodzic’s departure imminent, Sheffield United are left with just two senior centre‑backs: Nottingham Forest loanee Tyler Bindon and club captain Jack Robinson, who is in the final year of his contract. This leaves the Blades critically light at centre‑back for the current season and beyond.

Who Could Sheffield United Replace Anel Ahmedhodzic With?

With centre-back depth a cause for concern, here are three realistic centre‑back targets along with their 2024/25 Championship stats (all from FBref).

Japhet Tanganga – Millwall

(Photo by James Fearn/Getty Images)

While Tanganga’s FBref data may not stand out, it’s always important to contextualise the data. For example, the 26-year-old has some of the worst passing data in terms of short and medium range. However, this could be heavily influenced by Millwall’s tactical setup; they may want to play more direct, which effectively naturally decreases passing completion stats.

Tanganga, for me, is more of a sweeper type centre-back. His pace to recover balls in behind and make last-ditch tackles are similar to what we’ve seen from Anel Ahmedhodzic in a Blades shirt, which is partly why he’s on this list. However, for the potential fee Millwall could demand for him, United could sign someone more dominant aerially (56th percentile – % of aerial duels won last season).

Charlie Hughes – Hull City

Charlie Hughes is certainly a better player than Tanganga overall, however, Hull City may demand a significant fee considering their financial struggles (in terms of restrictions).

The 21-year-old can play through the thirds, similar to the way Ahmedhodzic has done, particularly in his Championship campaigns. He can progress the ball with both passing and carrying, which is becoming a more prominent weapon for modern day defenders, especially when a manager, like Ruben Selles, wants to play vertical tiki taka (get the ball forward through quick and accurate passing).

One thing that stands out to me is his passing into the final third numbers, 3.72 per 90 (81st percentile in 2024/25 Championship season). Given he played under Selles towards the back end of the previous term, and given his clear effectiveness in his system, signing Hughes should be a priority considering his age, potential, and current ability.

Torbjorn Heggem – West Bromwich Albion

WEST BROMWICH, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 01: Ben Doak of Middlesbrough shoots against Alex Palmer of West Bromwich Albion whilst under pressure from Torbjorn Heggem of West Bromwich Albion during the Sky Bet Championship match between West Bromwich Albion FC and Middlesbrough FC at The Hawthorns on October 01, 2024 in West Bromwich, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

This is a player I spoke about last season. He has the physicality of someone like Jack O’Connell, and has the same sort of qualities on the ball. The 26-year-old Norwegian had some of the best passing stats in the league for centre-backs last term, especially his long passing. He’s also good in both physical and aerial duels.

One thing that stands out to me is that he would likely be the left centre-back if the Blades signed him. Now, we’ve seen in pre-season that opponents can beat the press by sending it into the right channel where Jack Robinson has notoriously been shaky at dealing with because of his lack of pace.

Heggem wouldn’t have this issue because he is much better athletically for his frame than what Robinson is. Plus, he had a 79% success rate against dribblers last season, ranking him in the 87th percentile (granted Robinson ranked two percentiles better, but the difference in speed is clear to see).