The 5 Sheffield United players we expect to leave by 7pm on September 1st | OneFootball

Ruben Selles may still be looking to move these players on by the end of the summer transfer window

The Championship season gets underway this weekend, and Sheffield United will be hoping that history can repeat itself and that the previous campaign's play-off final losers will go on to lift the league title the following May.

There hasn't been too much in terms of incomings at Bramall Lane yet this summer, with key arrivals being on loan, and those being brought in for a fee being youngsters with the potential to thrive under new boss Ruben Selles.

Saying that, the squad left behind after Chris Wilder departed, despite the various loan players who returned to their parent clubs and the sale of Vini Souza, is still solid enough to compete in the second tier.

Most of the current crop are either decent Championship-level players or good depth options. Perhaps with more incomings between now and the end of the transfer window, the likes of Jamie Shackleton and Rhys Norrington-Davies could become surplus to requirements, but for now, they're clear bench options.

However, these players are some who, regardless of incomings, will likely see their future, short or long term, lie away from Bramall Lane before September 1st's transfer deadline.

Gustavo Hamer

At 28, Gustavo Hamer would be silly not to try his hand once more in a division more difficult than the Championship, after he won the Player of the Season in the second tier and set up the opener with a perfect pass in the play-off final last term.

Interest was red-hot as the off-season began, but the Dutchman remains a Sheffield United player with a week to go before the new season.

Soccernews reported towards the back-end of July that Hamer was still holding out for a Premier League move, despite interest from the Eredivisie champions PSV.

And the longer the transfer window goes on, the more open the 28-year-old might be for a move back to the Dutch top-flight.

Kieffer Moore

Unfortunately for Kieffer Moore, he perhaps doesn't have a huge role in the Ruben Selles system.

Seen at Reading and Hull City previously, the new Sheffield United head coach likes to play with a fluid attack, playing almost a front four full of interchangeable stars who can do a job behind the striker, out wide, or as the number nine, when called upon.

The Welshman is one of the premier target men in the EFL, but Selles' style doesn't adhere to that too much, and with the emergence of Ryan Oné during pre-season, Moore has arguably been pushed even further back in an already competitive pecking order.

Moore's time at Bramall Lane seems to be up imminently, with fellow Championship side Wrexham moving closer and closer to securing a move for the 32-year-old. However, with the Blades looking for a replacement before they sanction any move, this one's currently on hold for now.

Louie Marsh - Loan

Despite Selles' youth-centred approach, it's still probable that 21-year-old Louie Marsh will find himself at a new club between now and the window closing.

The versatile attacker was named in 13 separate Championship squads in the opening half of the season but didn't make it off the bench in any of them. Then, he failed to set the world alight in League Two with Fleetwood Town post-January, scoring just twice in 16 fourth-tier appearances.

A similar loan move to a League Two side will likely be the destination for Marsh, as he continues to try and make it into the fold at Bramall Lane.

Jefferson Cáceres - Loan

Another forward-thinking player, Jefferson Cáceres, is one of the few "hidden gems" that Sheffield United are looking to bring into the fold under the new transfer strategy. However, the Peruvian made no appearances for the Blades since his arrival from Melgar in his native country in January.

Selles has hinted at a loan move for both Cáceres and Ukaki, but stresses that, for the time being, they're still in the squad.

Cáceres turns 23 before the end of the summer transfer window, however, so he will be in more need of regular senior minutes this season than new arrival Ukaki, with the 20-year-old possibly able to play some U21 games as he sits on the fringes of the first team.

If the Peruvian can't find those minutes during the first few weeks of the new season, then a loan move may be wise.

Ivo Grbic

Michael Cooper will start this season as Sheffield United's number one, and, subject to an injury or a late bid at the end of the summer window, will be there for the entire season, so don't expect two-time Croatian international Ivo Grbic to stay around for long if that is the case.

The 29-year-old arrived at Bramall Lane in January 2024 from Spanish giants Atlético Madrid, but a more than disastrous opening nine games in the Premier League saw him dropped, and last season he went out on loan to Rizespor in Turkey.

Another loan could be explored, but if it's up to Sheffield United, Cooper will be the man between the sticks for as long as possible, as the former Plymouth Argyle shot-stopper has plenty of Premier League potential.