Sheffield United in contract negotiations with three players as retained list confirmed

Sheffield United remain locked in contract talks with three members of Paul Heckingbottom’s squad as the manager looks to assemble a squad capable of competing in the Premier League next season.

United this afternoon confirmed their retained list ahead of the new season, with multiple promotion winners Billy Sharp, Jack O’Connell and Enda Stevens joining youngster Kyron Gordon in leaving the Lane this season.

Eight further academy players, including the highly-rated Tunisian youth international Hassan Ayari, will also depart this summer while Wes Forderingham, Ollie Norwood, Oli McBurnie and Ismaila Coulibaly have had extensions activated to remain at Bramall Lane for next season.

John Fleck, Ben Osborn and Jack Robinson were three men also facing an uncertain future with their contracts set to expire in the summer, but United began talks over new contracts for all three earlier this summer and negotiations are still ongoing. Robinson impressed on the left of United’s back three as United won promotion from the Championship, while Osborn and Fleck suffered injury-hit campaigns.

Both Robinson and Osborn had their one-year options triggered last summer while United have also tabled contract offers to academy players George Dickinson, Benjamin Drake, Luke Faxon and Charlie Staniland.