Opinion: Sheffield United must take this contract stance on key figure amid uncertain future | OneFootball

Sheffield United will be looking to get back to winning ways in the Championship this weekend when they host Swansea City at Bramall Lane.

The Blades were forced to settle for a draw in their recent showdown with Rotherham United as this fixture ended in a stalemate.

Due to the fact that Middlesbrough managed to pick up a win last Saturday, United’s advantage over the chasing pack in terms of the race for promotion has been reduced to ten points.

While Blades manager Paul Heckingbottom will be confident in his ability to guide his side to a top-two finish in the coming months, there is still a great deal of uncertainty concerning off-the-field matters that need to be resolved.

United were placed under a transfer embargo by the EFL last month over the default of payments to another club.

It is understood that Liverpool did not receive an instalment that was due relating to the purchase of Rhian Brewster in 2020.

The Blades’ embargo could be lifted if a potential takeover deal is completed in the not-too-distant future.

According to BBC Sport, a takeover involving Nigerian billionaire Dozy Mmobuosi is at an advanced stage.

However, as per The Athletic, there are doubts concerning Mmobuosi’s suitability to become the new owner of the club as he is the director of an airline company (Tingo Airlines Limited) which has declared a share capital of £1billion despite there being no sufficient evidence of a flight ever taking place.

With off-the-field issues dominating the headlines, the Blades are having to hold fire when it comes to handing out new contracts.

Once a resolution is reached regarding the takeover as well as the embargo, United ought to be looking to extend Wes Foderingham’s stay at Bramall Lane.

The goalkeeper’s current contract is set to expire in the summer and thus he will become a free-agent if a fresh agreement cannot be reached.

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When you consider that Foderingham is a key member of the club’s squad, they should be doing everything in their power to convince him to sign a new deal regardless of what division the Blades find themselves in next season.

In the 60 league games that he has participated in since making the move to South Yorkshire, Foderingham has claimed an impressive total of 29 clean-sheets.

During the current term, Foderingham has yet to make an error that has led directly to a goal and is currently averaging a Sofascore match rating of 6.90 in the Championship.

Having established himself as the club’s first-choice keeper, there is every chance that Foderingham will agree to new terms as he is currently guaranteed regular first-team football.

Retaining the services of the 32-year-old will also allow the Blades to focus on strengthening their squad in other areas of the pitch ahead of the 2023/24 season.