After returning to the Premier League, Sheffield United are establishing themselves as a club on the up, having put in some stellar performances on the pitch this season with Chris Wilder guiding the newly-promoted side to seventh after 27 matches.
Furthermore, having made the right noises off the pitch with regard to preparing the Blades for a top-flight future, the club is backing up its ambition with actions, the latest of which is tying midfield lynchpin John Fleck to a new deal. The contract sees the Scot remain at Bramall Lane until 2023 and highlights the changing tides on the red and white half of Sheffield as they look to establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the English top-flight.
Fleck, valued at £5.4m (Transfermarkt) is the Blades’ joint top scorer in the Premier League this season, having found the back of the net five times and is providing an incredible contribution from the middle of the park. Additionally, he has produced two assists, and as per WhoScored, only Lys Mousset has had a hand in more of Sheffield’s goals with nine. It was rumoured that Arsenal were sniffing around for a bargain to try and lure Fleck to the Emirates Stadium, but signing a new contract shows the faith he has in his current club.
Wilder also revealed that there are three other players in negotiations to extend their time at Bramall Lane, including John Lundstram, whose current deal was due to expire at the end of the season. It appears Sheffield have their house in order with one eye on the future, rather than living day to day in the relegation quagmire at the other end of the table, and the players are buying into the plan their manager has forged.
The January arrival of Sander Berge epitomised what an attractive proposition Sheffield United have become in an incredibly brief period. But one of the most impressive factors about their Premier League tenure is not breaking their transfer record on multiple occasions, but rewarding the men who have got them to this position. Fleck’s deal sheds light on how the Blades no longer require selling their critical assets to make the books balance. Instead, Wilder will be attempting to develop them further than he already has with the possibility of European football in the 2020/21 campaign.
