Sheffield United 'considering release of Mali international midfielder'

The Mali international made the move to the then-Premier League Blades from Sarpsborg 08 in the summer of 2020 for a fee in the region of £2m.

Under the stewardship of Chris Wilder, Coulibaly failed to cement a spot in the first-team thinking in Yorkshire, being sent on a two-year loan to Belgian Pro League side Beerschot.

The midfielder featured 44 times for Beerschot across all competitions between 2020 and 2022, finding the net on five occasions as they survived in the top tier.

As alluded to earlier, Coulibaly has experience on the international stage, earning his maiden call-up and start for Mali's senior side during 2023.

Sheffield United set to release Coulibaly this summer?

According to Swedish outlet Fotboll Direkt, Sheffield United are considering releasing Coulibaly from his contract at the club over the summer.

The report states that Blades manager Wilder does not see the midfielder as a significant part of his plans as the club prepare for a Championship campaign in 2024-25.

Coulibaly is currently on loan at Swedish side AIK Fotboll, with the Mali international making eight appearances across the league and cup since moving there earlier in the campaign.

Following his impressive performances for Beerschot during the 2020-21 campaign, it is understood that Serie A giants AC Milan were keen on the signing of Coulibaly.

It is said that the Rossoneri submitted a bid of £12.9m for the 23-year-old, however Sheffield United were supposedly quick to reject the offer.

Expiring contracts in Sheffield

Sheffield United's recruitment for next season will now be targeted towards the Championship, looking to secure an immediate return to the top flight.

It is set to be a summer of change at Bramall Lane, where a number of first-team stalwarts are approaching the end of their current deals with the club.

In the goalkeeping department, Wes Foderingham and Adam Davies are preparing to depart as free agents in the summer, leaving Ivo Grbic as the only senior shot stopper.

Unsurprisingly, the Blades have been linked to players who could seriously boost their keeping ranks, including Rotherham United's Viktor Johansson.