Exclusive: Sheffield United backed to seal "decent" deal for EFL Championship star | OneFootball

FLW has asked Sky Sports Pundit Don Goodman for this thoughts on Sheffield United signing Charlie Hughes as a replacement for Anel Ahmedhodžić.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman has shared his enthusiasm over reports that Sheffield United are bidding to sign the highly-rated Hull City defender Charlie Hughes.

Sheffield United kick off their Championship season on Saturday at Bramall Lane on Saturday against Bristol City, but the start of the new season is unlikely to end their dealings in the transfer market.

The Blades have been linked with the highly-rated young Hull City defender Charlie Hughes as a replacement for Anel Ahmedhodžić, who left the club for the Dutch giants Feyenoord this summer.

Ahmedhodžić first signed for the Blades in 2022 and impressed as his team won promotion to the Premier League at the end of his first season with the club. He was named as the club's captain in December 2023 and went on to make over 100 appearances for them before leaving for the Netherlands in June for a fee reported to be £15.6 million. Hughes, who had an excellent 2024-25 with Hull City, is seen as an ideal replacement.

Goodman: "I would see Charlie Hughes as a very decent addition if they can get him"

Football League World have spoken exclusively to Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman, and asked him whether he felt that Hughes would make a good replacement for Ahmedhodžić. He was enthusastic about Hughes' potential, telling us, "He's a highly-rated, exciting talent, still young at 21 years old", and that he'd seen worrying signs from the player Hughes would be replacing: "Sheffield United lost Ahmedhodžić, but with respect to him, I've seen a slow decline from him from when he burst on the scene. That first season when we were all, like, "Who's this?", he was amazing, brilliant."

Goodman believes that Sheffield United's terrible 2023-24 season could have been very bad for Ahmedhodžić: "I don't know whether that horrific season that Sheffield United had in the Premier League impacted him. Although he was decent, I didn't feel that he was at the same level last season as he had been previously in the Championship."

But the Sky Sports commentator feels that Hughes could, if the Blades can land him, be an excellent addition to their team: "They got good money which gives them a good opportunity to reinvest it, and I would see Charlie Hughes as a very decent addition if they can get him."

Prising Charlie Hughes away from Hull City may prove to be a challenge

Sheffield United may have a fight on their hands to take Charlie Hughes to Bramall Lane. Hull Live have reported that Hull City have already rejected two bids for the defender from Coventry City, and while the rejection of the Sky Blues' offers for the player may be welcome news for the Blades, the rationale given for the rejection isn't, with Hull Live reporting that the Tigers are "unwilling to sell their star man to a Championship rival."

There is no doubting the potential of Hughes, who came through the academies at both Manchester City and Liverpool before transferring to Hull from Wigan Athletic for an undisclosed fee reported to be in the region of £3.5 million in August 2024. It's understood that the offers made by Coventry were £4 million and £7 million. Hughes' growth as a player was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise poor 2024-25 season for Hull, which almost ended in relegation to League One.

With Premier League television money still backing them, Sheffield United may be able to out-gun Coventry in the chase for Hughes' signature, but both clubs may have to give consideration to Hull's reluctance to sell the player. It may take substantially more than £7 million to secure the services of this player, if it's possible at all.