Sheffield United are determined to bring the good times back to Bramall Lane - but there is a lot of work to be done.
Summer transfer window business sets the tone for the season and the Blades did not recruit well last year. Too many of their deals did not prove to be shrewd and they fell way short of pre-season expectations.
This time around, Sheffield United will not have the luxury of parachute payments to give them a strong hand in the transfer market.
In February, the club’s chief executive Stephen Bettis told The Yorkshire Post: "If we don't get promoted, it'll be the first time in eight years that we are really a Championship club. We've either been in the Premier League or a Championship club with parachute payments.
“On top of that the Premier League have already embraced a new kind of FFP (financial fair play) called SCR, squad cost ratio. The EFL is going the same way. This is not about how big a cheque the owners can write because clubs are restricted in terms of the investment they can make."
The free agent market, therefore, could prove incredibly attractive. Clubs up and down the country have now published their retained lists and the Blades may well be casting their eyes over the list of newly-unattached players.
Here are 29 free agents Sheffield United could target ahead of the 2026/27 Championship campaign.
5. Jamaal Lascelles
The 32-year-old centre-back has left Leicester City following their relegation from the Championship. | Michael Regan/Getty Images
6. Willy Boly
Nottingham Forest have released the 35-year-old centre-back. | Angel Martinez/Getty Images
7. Jed Wallace
West Bromwich Albion have cut the 32-year-old wideman loose four years after signing him from Millwall. | Cody Froggatt/PA Wire
8. Dan Neil
The 24-year-old midfielder is departing Sunderland after helping Ipswich Town seal promotion to the Premier League as a loanee. | Stu Forster/Getty Images