Sheffield United boss hopeful of Oli McBurnie contract resolution despite injury hammer blow

Chris Wilder remains hopeful that Oli McBurnie will remain at Sheffield United beyond the end of the current season, despite the hammer blow of the United skipper being ruled out for the rest of the season through injury. McBurnie is out of contract in the summer and the Blades are yet to tie him down to a new deal.

The striker is the club’s top scorer this season, with six goals, but will play no part in the Blades’ last four games after discovering the results of a scan on his injured groin. United have been trying to reach an agreement with their former record signing and his representatives for much of the current season but as things stand, he could walk away on a free transfer in the summer.

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McBurnie has previously made no secret of his love for Rangers, who have been linked with a move for him, while his performances of late will not have gone unnoticed elsewhere. But he remains a key figure at Bramall Lane and especially in the dressing room, where he has been earmarked as one of Wilder’s “culture carriers” and was handed the captain’s armband before his injury blow.

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Asked if McBurnie would pull on the red and white shirt again, Wilder admitted ahead of this afternoon’s trip to Newcastle United: “Hope so. I hope so and I think if you talk to the boy, I’d like to think that he sees his future here as well. There’s a lot of talking to be done with Oli and his agent, we have to make sure first and foremost we get him back medically healthy and fit and raring to go as well.

“And he’s someone who I’d like to have around the place. One of those culture carriers, good in the changing room and a good example to the players, the younger ones. Knows what’s required, and hopefully we come to an agreement and he has a really good pre-season because pre-seasons can be massive for everybody, to set the standard from an attitude point of view and be physically really set-up for a tough season. Oli, if we can come to an agreement with him, that’d be great. But obviously there’s a lot of talking to be done before that.”