MX23RW : Monday, November 18 22:43:30| >> :600:195487:195487:

Chris Wilder admits Sheffield United will have to adapt in transfer market

Chris Wilder admits Sheffield United will have to adapt in transfer market
© Reuters
Transfer budget hit and fringe players may leave the club to offset financial shortfall.

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder believes the financial implications of the Coronavirus pandemic could affect the club to the tune of between £20million and £30million.

The Premier League was curtailed in March due to the outbreak and since its resumption this month all matches have been behind closed doors with fans not permitted to attend.

With no timescale on when supporters might be allowed back in stadiums, clubs continue to feel the pinch from a commercial point of view.

The impact has changed the landscape for Wilder as regards his budget for next season and he may have to let some fringe players leave the club as a result.

"First of all, I'm not being disrespectful because football was rightly stopped, I'm just speaking from a financial perspective, but it has definitely changed things," said Wilder.

"I'm not embarrassed to say that. We'll lose a chunk of change, I don't know, somewhere between 20 and 30 million I should imagine from the football club's point of view. Perhaps that is a question for (chief executive officer) Steve (Bettis).

"Does that mean it will affect budgets and investment into the team? Yes, that's going to be the case and also what's happening at the football club right now with the transfer of the club from one owner to another.

"I accept that and it's up to me to find another way round that. I will give my best in trying to do what I need to do in order to make the group better for next year, which we have to.

Chesterfield v Sheffield United – Pre-Season Friendly – Proact Stadium
Chris Wilder says Phil Jagielka has added experience to the Blades squad but his one-year contract is due to expire when the season ends next month.

"There's no doubt about it, you can't stand still in this division because it will hurt you – as we've seen in glimpses so far since the return.

"My job next season is to make sure we are stronger than when we first started in the Premier League and there will be some decisions to make."

Phil Jagielka's one-year contract will expire when the season ends next month, while it might be that the Blades are unable to take up the option of turning Richairo Zivkovic's loan from Chinese side Changchun Yatai into a permanent deal.

"There's decisions to make," said Wilder. "Jags has brought a great amount of experience into the group but there's budgets to finalise. This is a moving situation, things can change.

Newcastle United v Sheffield United – Premier League – St James' Park
The financial impact of the pandemic may prevent Sheffield United taking up the option of turning Richairo Zivkovic's loan into a permanent deal.

"Nobody knows if there's going to be supporters in the ground so, from a commercial aspect for next year, sponsorship deals are things we as a football club rely really heavily on and are they going to be affected in the future nobody knows.

"Jags has put himself in a situation to earn a new contract but it's always a moving situation and he understands that, as the other boys do. Some boys aren't going to be with us and that's the natural progression of the football club.

"(Zivkovic) was a loan with a view and still is so there's conversations to have there. We have a basic idea of what we want to do and improve based on this season. He's here for the next month and we'll see where it goes from there."

ID:404757: cacheID:404757:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:7605:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
General view of Sheffield United's Bramall Lane taken April 2017
Read Next:
Sheffield United: Transfer ins and outs - Summer 2020
>
Read more about Chris Wilder Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sunderland1594225111431
2Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd1510321971231
3Leeds UnitedLeeds158522491529
4Burnley157621861227
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom15672169725
6Watford158162322125
7Middlesbrough157352317624
8Millwall156541813523
9Blackburn RoversBlackburn156451917222
10Bristol City155732019122
11Swansea CitySwansea155461110119
12Derby CountyDerby155461919019
13Stoke CityStoke155461819-119
14Norwich CityNorwich154652322118
15Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds155371725-818
16Oxford UnitedOxford Utd154561718-117
17Coventry CityCoventry154472021-116
18Plymouth ArgylePlymouth154471526-1116
19Hull City153661620-415
20Preston North EndPreston153661523-815
21Luton TownLuton154381726-915
22Cardiff CityCardiff154381423-915
23Portsmouth152671628-1212
24Queens Park RangersQPR151771225-1310


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!