Senior Sheffield United player closing in on multi-million Bramall Lane exit | OneFootball

This is a big blow for the Blades right before the start of a new season.

Anel Ahmedhodzic is on his way out of Sheffield United after they accepted a bid from Dutch side Feyenoord.

Heartbreak at Wembley at the hands of Tommy Watson was always going to have more negative consequences than just the failure to win promotion.

The loss to Sunderland ultimately led to Chris Wilder losing his job as the club's manager and left the Blades vulnerable to transfers this summer, with a number of players on their books who have top-level aspirations.

Vinicius Souza came first, completing a switch to Wolfsburg for just less than £13 million, according to Brazilian reports. Now Ahmedhodzic is set to follow in his footsteps and head for the departure lounge.

Anel Ahmedhodzic closing in on Feyenoord move

Sky Sports' Rob Dorsett has reported that United have accepted an offer from Robin Van Persie's Feyenoord for the Bosnian defender. Fabrizio Romano has since reported that he is set to travel to the Netherlands on Tuesday for a medical with his new club.

Ahmedhodzic played a key role for Wilder last term. He was involved in 38 of their Championship matches and helped them to keep 15 clean sheets along the way.

His exit from Bramall Lane is not good news for new boss Ruben Selles, who has already had to deal with fitness issues in the centre of defence this pre-season. The 26-year-old missed out on the club's recent trip to France due to illness. New signing Tyler Bindon and club captain Jack Robinson also weren't involved in the Nice match due to injuries.

The timing of the deal, with United's first match of the season, at home to Bristol City in a repeat of last season's play-off semi-final, is far from ideal. That said, Ahmedhodzic was into the final year of his deal with the club, so moving him on in this window was always going to be on the table.

Claims from Holland that the Eredivisie side will pay the Blades €18 million (~ £15.6 million) are wide of the mark, according to Dorsett.

Sheffield United need to find Anel Ahmedhodzic replacement pronto

Because of their centre-half fitness issues, Selles needs his recruitment department to act quickly to find a replacement for the Bosnian. Blades found an alternative to Souza in the form of Djibril Soumare, who has joined the club on a season-long loan with an obligation to buy him from SC Braga if promoted, in a fairly timely manner.

Clubs like United will always have targets that they are monitoring across the pitch. The news of Ahmedhodzic's imminent Feyenoord move now must get officials at Bramall Lane to pick up the phone to enquire about defensive options, because they are really in need of them.