Sheffield United let go 718 Premier League appearances ahead of summer search for experience

Experience is high on manager Chris Wilder's wishlist in this summer's transfer market, yet the club will release three seasoned Premier League campaigners, with Mee and Ings following Tom Davies out.

All three joined as free agents, with a combined 718 top-flight games.

Midfielder Davies signed from Everton three years ago, but was unable to break the cycle of injuries which caused him to be available in the first place.

The lack of gametime for summer additions Mee and Ings was more Wilder’s choice.

Mee, now 35, established himself at first after the Blades radically re-thought their centre-back options at the end of the summer transfer window.

Captain Jack Robinson and Rhys Norrington-Davies (who went on loan) were allowed to follow Anel Ahmedhodzic out after starting the season with the club. Japhet Tanganga, Mark McGuinness, Ben Godfrey and Mee were added to the stable of centre-backs, on top of summer signings Nils Zatterstrom and Tyler Bindon.

Still building his fitness after being released by Brentford, Mee never started for Ruben Selles, who signed him but was sacked as manager after six matches. He was an unused substitute in the first game under Selles’ replacement, Wilder, but started the next 12.

Mee broke his hand in November/December and on his return, made just four further appearances, three starts, all in January.

Posting on Instagram, Mee (inset) admitted to his frustration at his lack of football in the second half of the campaign, but said it did not take away from his enjoyment playing for the Championship club.

“It’s not been the season any of us wanted, but I’m grateful to have had the pleasure of playing for this great club in front of an incredible fanbase and meeting all the brilliant people who make the club tick," he wrote.

“Of course I would have loved to help the team out more in the second half of the season and (I’m) disappointed I wasn’t given the opportunity to do so, but that’s football."

Striker Ings was also picked up late in the window having been let go by West Ham United.

Of his 23 Championship appearances for the Blades, only five came from the start. One came in 2026, and was cut short after 25 minutes due to injury at Birmingham City. He scored at home to Norwich City and Hull City.

Having finished third in last season's Championship, then narrowly lost the play-off final to Sunderland, it was not unreasonable to expect the Blades to push for automatic promotion in 2025-26.

But the decision to sack Wilder, appoint Selles and overhaul the squad backfired badly. Bringing Wilder back was not enough to rescue even a push for the play-offs.

Wilder has widely trailed another overhaul this summer to make the squad much more competitive next season.