Chris Wilder reveals one Sheffield United player 'possibly won't re-sign' over money...and the boss didn't appear bothered
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The Blades boss admitted that contract talks with the unnamed player have hit an impasse and there doesn’t appear to be any chance of United backing down from their own valuation of the squad member’s worth.
Speaking about the financial crisis will continue to engulf football because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Wilder said there has to come a point where every club says ‘no’ and backs away when they feel like the numbers aren’t adding up.
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Hide AdIt is that belief that could see a player heading out the door at Bramall Lane if his agent’s demands, aren’t tempered.
“I think first and foremost the Football League clubs and every football club has a huge responsibility to run the right and correct way. And has to say no to a deal,” he told Alan Biggs’ Talking Sport programme.
“We are in the process of talking about contracts and I know for a fact that possibly one of the players won't re-sign because of an agent thinking there is more money in our club than there actually is.
“So one of the things we have done at Sheffield United is control what we can and bring the power back to the football club, recognising players' worth but walking away from deals when we have to walk away.”
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Hide AdWilder maintained the club would not be held to ransom and said he had taken pride in the fact that since taking over as manager he has prevented money from being wasted, as it had done in the past.
Last summer, fans favourite Mark Duffy left the club in what are believed to be similar circumstances to what Wilder is describing now and the manager admitted he would continue to make big calls and ‘back themselves’ to find capable replacements.
“There's got to be a limit, there's got to be a valuation on players,” he added. “There's got to be a viewpoint on what the player has done, quite rightly so, not playing that down, and what the football club has done for the player as well.
“There has got to be a balance to this. We can’t be reckless and we certainly aren't reckless, in everything we do.
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Hide Ad“One of the things when I came to the football club, there seemed to be that attitude of 'well it's Sheffield United and we'll pay it and we'll do this and do that' and I could never understand it.
"There's a valuation and if it doesn't happen we move on and we back ourselves to go and replace and we make decisions.
“We have made decisions in the past and people I should imagine are scratching their heads and going 'what's all that about' but there's obviously always a story to everything.
“I have taken enormous responsibility and pride in looking after the football club and making sure things are done correctly and properly and everybody's getting value for money. We'll certainly carry on doing that.”