There are currently five players who’s Sheffield United futures are uncertain due to the upcoming expiration of their contracts.
While most of the negotiations are stalling due to financial reasons, for weeks John Egan has been promised a contract extension at Bramall Lane providing he can show the club that he has successfully recovered from his major achilles injury suffered back in September, in a 2-0 defeat at West Ham United.
The 31-year-old dropped a massive hint on social media recently when he posted a picture of him back on the grass at Shirecliffe. Behind him were some training equipment where it looked like the Republic of Ireland international was doing some drill work, which is a huge relief ahead of pre-season.
Now, the Telegraph are reporting that Sheffield United and Egan remain “locked” into negotiations regarding his contract extension. The report also details that two Premier League clubs are showing an interest in the veteran defender.
Sheffield United missed leaders and experience last season
John Egan was sorely missed in the Blades’ miserable campaign last season. Egan made a total of six Premier League appearances before his unfortunate injury on the pitch at the Olympic Stadium. After that, all he could do was watch his team get hammered; eventually conceding a record breaking 104 top flight goals.
It was always going to be difficult for Sheffield United to survive last term, especially with three of their most experienced defenders absent for most of the season: George Baldock, Chris Basham and John Egan. These three players between them had over 200 Premier League appearances between them. The rest of the defenders coming into the season had just 78., and that was from Jayden Bogle (50) and injury stricken Max Lowe.
So, it’s quite clear where United’s issues were; the back line had no natural leaders to count upon and they had very little Premier League knowhow without the three main defenders mentioned earlier.
While the Irishman may have had a poor start to the campaign, he was certainly missed. Since signing for the Blades back in the 2018/19 Championship campaign, Egan has been a massive part of the club’s success.
For years, supporters have applauded Egan for his availability. In his previous five league campaigns for United, the experienced defender has played in 94% of the team’s league games, highlighting just how dependable he is. His consistent presence on the field has been crucial, making his absence in the season just gone all the more noticeable.
The Blades should keep Egan if he has no complications from his previous injury
Sheffield United will not be able to get a player of John Egan’s pedigree in the summer transfer window. He has a plethora of Premier League and international experience, he has two automatic promotions from the Championship under his belt.
Even if the takeover goes through and the club can spend £4 million on Joe Worrall for example – is it really worth letting Egan go for free and replacing him with Worrall for £4 million? I personally think that would be a poor decision. Unless of course Egan shows negative signs due to his injury.
