"It does not look good" - Sheffield United questioned as player seals Bramall Lane exit | OneFootball

Sheffield United recently sold one of their latest AI-based signings

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Sheffield United recently sold Jefferson Caceres to Dunfermline Athletic.

The 22-year-old moved to Bramall Lane in February from Peruvian outfit FBC Melgar alongside Nigerian winger Christian Nwachukwu, who were both believed to be products of the Blades’ AI data-driven transfer strategy.

Caceres signed a contract with the Steel City side until 2027, but has already made a permanent exit, without making a single appearance for the club.

With Sheffield United prioritising their new transfer approach, these results could be extremely worrying for Blades’ supporters.

Football League World’s Sheffield United fan pundit, Jimmy (AKA Blades Ramble), believes there may be a clear reason why Caceres has been sold this summer.

Sheffield United handed transfer explanation over Jefferson Caceres decision

“The optics on the Jefferson Caceres transfer don’t look great,” stated Jimmy. “But I can make an argument as to why it's happened.

“We have the four ESC slots, and they are full now. We've filled all four, and we need to free one up for any signing that we are looking to bring in.

“As a club, it does not look good in terms of long-term planning. However, we have had a manager change. I'm not for one minute saying that Chris Wilder had anything to do with the Caceres signing because he didn't.

“I can almost say for certain that Wilder will have had no control in the transfers for Caceres and Christian Nwachukwu; they will not have been part of his plans.

“But two of those slots were filled before Ruben Selles even got here and now, he wants a player that would occupy one of those slots.

“So, that is why Caceres has been sold. As I say, the optics don't look great for the club, but there is a reason behind it.”

Sheffield United must learn from Jefferson Caceres transfer

In modern football, trying to gain any slight advantage over your rivals is crucial when it comes to performance on the pitch.

This explains why Sheffield United have adopted their new AI data-driven transfer strategy, but they must use some caution when exploring targets using this method.

Given Caceres’ career up until joining the Blades, it didn’t seem likely that he had what it took to feature for a team fighting at the sharp end of the Championship.

This proved to be the case, not making a single appearance for the Steel City side before being discarded this summer.