Sheffield United have already lost several key players this summer, but Ruben Selles has stated that Michael Cooper is not a player the club intends to sell.
With Chris Wilder’s departure, there was always going to be some turbulence at Sheffield United this summer, leaving Ruben Selles with a difficult challenge to rebuild and regroup ahead of the new season.
The new Sheffield United manager has lost Vini Souza to Wolfsburg, but has managed to keep Gus Hamer and Anel Ahmedhodzic, two players who were expected to leave.
There has also been much speculation about Michael Cooper’s departure, with Everton reportedly interested. However, the Blades manager has put that concept to rest this week.
Michael Cooper’s absence is explained by Ruben Selles
Sheffield United’s pre-season preparations continued with a friendly against Burton Albion on Tuesday night.
Wrexham target Kieffer Moore and United youngster Ryan One scored to give the Blades a 2-1 victory. However, many fans were concerned that Michael Cooper was not on the Blades’ roster for the game.
Speaking after the game, Selles explained the goalkeeper’s absence and allayed any anxieties. He explained: “The last game was my decision to give the other goalkeepers some minutes. He had some stiffness in his knee today, but he should be back in a few days.
“He is definitely staying; it’s not about that. I understand your concerns because he was not present, but it has nothing to do with that.”
Everton were the club most closely associated with Cooper. However, the Toffees recently extended Jordan Pickford’s contract, effectively ending their pursuit.
Ruben Selles cannot afford to rock the boat at Sheffield United
Sheffield United were extremely unlucky not to be promoted last season, and they will understand that maintaining as much stability as possible following their management change will be critical to their chances.
If they can keep Cooper, Ahmedhodzic, and Hamer, the Blades will have one of the division’s strongest squads and could have a good chance of promotion this season.
Selles believes that rather than doing anything new this summer, it will be a matter of fine-tuning the team and getting them across the finish line.
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