Sheffield United has stated that they are in talks with attacker Rhian Brewster about his future at Bramall Lane after missing out on promotion to the Premier League.
Sheffield United appeared to be in pole position for automatic promotion, but three straight defeats against Oxford United, Millwall, and Plymouth Argyle in early April gave a major blow to their top two chances, and they concluded the season in third place.
| 2024-25 Championship table | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | Leeds United (C) | 46 | 65 | 100 |
| 2 | Burnley (P) | 46 | 53 | 100 |
| 3 | Sheffield United | 46 | 27 | 90 |
| 4 | Sunderland (P) | 46 | 14 | 76 |
| 5 | Coventry City | 46 | 6 | 69 |
| 6 | Bristol City | 46 | 4 | 68 |
| 7 | Blackburn Rovers | 46 | 5 | 66 |
| 8 | Millwall | 46 | ||
The Blades recovered well from that disappointment, winning 6-0 on aggregate against Bristol City in their play-off semi-final, but were defeated 2-1 by Sunderland in the final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
After a strong start, United rightfully took the lead in the 25th minute thanks to Tyrese Campbell, and they believed they had doubled their lead just a few minutes later when Harrison Burrows’ effort was called out for offside.
Despite having less possession in the second half, Chris Wilder’s side appeared to be on course to win, but that changed when Eliezer Mayenda equalised in the 76th minute, and Tommy Watson won it for the Black Cats in the fifth minute of stoppage time, condemning the Blades to another season in the Championship.
As the dust settles on their heartbreaking Wembley defeat, United are beginning to make arrangements for the next season, and with Brewster’s contract scheduled to expire this summer, his future is uncertain.
Sheffield United deliver a major update on Rhian Brewster’s future.
Sheffield United announced their released and retained list on Thursday, confirming that defender Jack Robinson has signed a one-year contract extension after making a certain number of appearances, while loanees Alfie Gilchrist, Harry Clarke, Rob Holding, Harry Souttar, Hamza Choudhury, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, and Ben Brereton Diaz have returned to their parent clubs.
With the majority of the first-team squad under contract, Brewster is the lone player whose future remains uncertain, and the Blades are in talks with the 25-year-old about his situation at Bramall Lane.
Brewster became United’s club-record signing when he joined from Liverpool for £23.5 million in October 2020, but he has struggled to live up to that price tag, scoring only nine goals and supplying four assists in 119 games over the last five years.
The forward had the best season of his Blades career this season, scoring four goals and assisting three times, but he struggled to establish a regular place in the team, starting only 21 of his 42 games, though Wilder did include him in the line-up for Saturday’s play-off final against Sunderland.
While Brewster’s future remains uncertain, Wilder made no secret of his desire to sign him to a new deal in February, telling The Star: “We’re in talks with Rhian and his representatives. I would love for him to stay. I am a great fan. I don’t agree with what people say. “The youngster did not want to be wounded.
I’ve mentioned it before, but he’s having a run of games and is fit and healthy; he’s part of a front group that I’m thrilled to have. We now have actual options. Rhian’s ability to start and come off the bench is fantastic, and I’d love for him to work out that agreement. His agent is talking to the club, and hopefully we can reach an understanding and settlement.”
Sheffield United face a significant Rhian Brewster issue as contract decision looms.
Wilder has made it obvious that he is a great supporter of Brewster, recently remarking that Sheffield United “have not seen the best” of him, but while talks about his future continue, it remains to be seen whether owners Steve Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy share that sentiment.
Brewster played a key role for the Blades this season as they nearly lost out on promotion, most notably scoring the winner in the Steel City derby against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in March.
However, Brewster’s total goal record at Bramall Lane is not very impressive, especially given the huge fee the club paid for his services, and United must now determine whether he has done enough to earn a new contract.
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