Sheffield United made the surprise decision to sack manager Chris Wilder after missing out on promotion, and EFL Analysis has now gained insight on what that means for the future of two star players.
Despite amassing 90 points and losing in the Championship play-off final in 2024/25, Sheffield United officially sacked Chris Wilder on Wednesday evening, bringing the curtain down on his second spell at the club.
Shockingly, it’s Ruben Selles who has been appointed as Wilder’s successor, despite only just keeping Hull City in the division with a draw against Portsmouth on the final day.
Selles inherits a squad at Bramall Lane that is jam-packed with talent, none more so than midfield metronomes Gustavo Hamer and Vinicius Souza.
The duo have attracted attention following their incredible campaigns in the second-tier, and now, it has emerged what Wilder’s departure means for their futures.
How Chris Wilder’s exit impacts Vinicius Souza and Gustavo Hamer
After the Blades were beaten in the play-off final by Sunderland, we revealed that Hamer has ‘huge admirers’ from the Premier League.
As does teammate Souza, who has Everton, Bournemouth and Fulham on his radar after showcasing his ball-winning talents in the Championship.
Naturally, with Wilder now leaving the club, supporters will perhaps fear that two of his best players could follow. But EFL Analysis can confirm, via football correspondent Graeme Bailey, that his departure won’t ‘massively’ affect the futures of both players.
“I’m not sure Wilder going affects it massively in terms of the future of these players,” Bailey explained. “Hamer obviously was a specific Wilder signing, but Sheffield United have values for these players and they’re both very much in demand to a certain extent. They’re both outstanding players, had outstanding seasons, but with that, they’re going to demand large fees.
“I don’t think it’s necessarily a given that either go. I think Hamer probably will, but they’re not going to give them away. As for Souza, we haven’t heard too much on him regarding a move. I think Selles would love to keep Souza in place.
“It depends, really, on how Selles sells the situation to them. If Selles comes in and says, ‘Look, they’ve given me the budget to go for it’ then they are far more likely to stay. We will find out in the coming days what those plans are. I suspect Selles will be given a fairly healthy budget to work with.”
Keeping Hamer and Souza would put Sheffield United in promotion driving seat
Sheffield United would be fortunate to still have Souza and Hamer in their squad once the transfer window shuts, and if they do, surely they become one of the favourites for automatic promotion.
| Gustavo Hamer’s 2024/25 Championship stats |
| 41 games |
| 9 goals |
| 7 assists |
| 11 big chances created |
| 1.8 key passes per game |
| 2.2 shots per game |
| 4.4 balls recovered per game |
As demonstrated by the above table, Hamer’s influence on the United squad was immense, contributing to 16 goals in 41 games and also creating 11 big chances.
That type of player is impossible to replace without paying the premium, and similar can be said for Souza, whose relentless energy and ferocious tackling were the glue that held Wilder’s system together.
