Paul Heckingbottom makes Sheffield United admission amid off-field uncertainty

Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom admitted he is not able to tell any out of contract players whether he will keep them on just yet.

The Blades are subject to a £115m offer from Henry Mauriss, with the American businessman keen to do a deal for the Championship side. As well as that, Heckingbottom’s men currently occupy the final play-off spot, so an immediate return to the top-flight is still on the cards.

Therefore, it’s hard for the boss to make a call on which individuals he wants to keep and Heckingbottom explained to the Sheffield Star why he wouldn’t be making promises he can’t keep, so talks are on hold.

“You can’t tell them. I’m not going to lie to them or promise them something that I might not be able to deliver on. You’ve got to be honest with people and that’s something I’ve also built my coaching career on.

“Clarity is key and we are at that stage when people want that.”

Sheffield United are back in action tonight when they take on QPR, looking for the win that could guarantee a top six finish.

The verdict

You have to appreciate the honesty from Heckingbottom here and whilst the players would prefer the clarity on their future, they will surely understand where he’s coming from.

The budget that is set is obviously going to depend on the owner, so if Mauriss comes in it might free up more funds and give the boss an idea to look elsewhere for players.

So, he would hope for something to be sorted quickly but nothing will be decided until the season is finished anyway, when the Blades will hope to have won promotion.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.

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