The 4 Sheffield United players that need to prove a point in pre-season or risk 2024/25 axe | OneFootball

4 Sheffield United players that need to prove a point in pre-season

Sheffield United will be striving for a promotion push following last season's dismal Premier League campaign, and pre-season will help boss Chris Wilder identify which players are able to make a difference towards the Blades' attempt to make an immediate top-flight return.

After such a disappointing Premier League stint last term, there are several members of Wilder's squad who have a big point to prove ahead of 2024/25.

These are four players who will need to have a particularly strong pre-season in order to avoid being omitted from the Blades' matchday squads once the Championship campaign gets underway, or even sold:

Femi Seriki

Midfielder Femi Seriki made just two appearances for the Blades last season, one in the FA Cup and one in the EFL Cup, before being offloaded on loan to Rotherham United in February.

In a somewhat concerning turn of events, the 22-year-old only made two starts for the Millers despite the fact that they were situated rock-bottom of the Championship table throughout his spell at the club.

Unless Seriki is able to surprise Wilder during pre-season training, and in upcoming friendlies, then he appears unlikely to feature at Bramall Lane next campaign.

It could be argued that another loan move could be best for Seriki's career at this point, even if that means playing in a lower division after failing to impress at the Millers.

Anis Ben Slimane

Tunisian international Anis Ben Slimane has a point to prove at the Blades next season after making just 15 appearances and four starts in the Premier League last time out.

Ben Slimane signed for the Bramall Lane outfit last season from Danish Superligaen side Brondby, and was perhaps likely to struggle to bridge the gulf in class between the Superligaen and the top-flight of the English game.

The 23-year-old should be able to make more of an impact on the Championship, but he might need to impress Wilder during pre-season before being trusted as an asset who can help steer the South Yorkshire side towards the promotion spots.

Rhian Brewster

The career of Liverpool academy product Rhian Brewster, who won the Under-17 World Cup with England back in 2017, has not pushed on in the way that the striker would have liked.

The last time Brewster enjoyed a successful goalscoring season in senior football came back in the second half of the 2019/20 season as he scored 11 goals in 22 appearances for Swansea City while on loan from the Reds, helping the Swans land a play-off place.

The 24-year-old joined the Blades in 2020, but failed to make an impact during his first season at Bramall Lane as he failed to make a single goal contribution in 27 Premier League appearances during the 2020/21 campaign.

His best season with the Blades to date was the 2021/22 season, in which he scored three goals in 14 appearances, but last season he failed to score in 13 Premier League outings.

Unless Brewster is particularly clinical in front of goal during pre-season, it is difficult to envisage Wilder frequently selecting him next campaign.

Louie Marsh

Blades starlet Louie Marsh made just one appearance for Wilder's men last campaign, which came in an EFL Cup clash with League One side Lincoln City back in August.

The 20-year-old was sent on loan to League Two Doncaster Rovers in September, where he would remain until April despite making just six fourth tier appearances in which he failed to score.

Marsh's solitary strike last season came during an EFL Trophy match for Rovers, so his boss may take some convincing to place his trust in him in the Championship.