Jairo Riedewald has left Sheffield United, but goalkeeper Adam Davies will be back for another season.

Blades manager Chris Wilder had wanted to keep the experienced midfielder, with reports they had the option to trigger an extra 12 months in a contract which expires at the end of June. But the former Crystal Palace player will now join the free agent market, along with Tom Davies, Danny Ings and Ben Mee.

Wilder signed 29-year-old Riedewald in October to bring more experience and midfield balance to a squad he felt was short of both. Initially the agreement took both parties up to the January transfer window, but was extended until the end of the season.

He made 26 appearances, 20 of them league starts.

GOING: Jairo Riedewald's Sheffield United contract will expire next month (Image: Simon Bellis / Sportimage)

placeholder image — GOING: Jairo Riedewald's Sheffield United contract will expire next month (Image: Simon Bellis / Sportimage)

But with reports Riedewald may be looking for a longer-term commitment than was on offer at Bramall Lane, he will now leave.

So ironically at a time when Wilder is looking to add more experience to his squad, he has lost four of his elder statesmen. The departures of Davies, Ings and Mee had been trailed in advance, and show that the Blades are looking beyond just birth certificates.

They have, however, retained the services of former Barnsley captain Davies, their erstwhile No 2 goalkeeper who started the final 12 games of last season after an injury to Michael Cooper. It doubled the number of starts Davies has made for the club in all competitions in four-and-a-half years at Bramall Lane.

Striker Patrick Bamford, who signed a short-term contract as a free agent around the same time as Riedewald, had already committed to a contract which run until the summer of 2027.

STAYING: Adam Davies and Patrick Bamford (Image: Simon Bellis / Sportimage)

The Blades are not triggering the option to buy midfielder Djibril Soumare in his season-long loan from Braga. Of his 25 Championship appearances for the club, 12 came from the bench, and only three starts after mid-January.

Leo Hjelde, Tyler Bindon, Ki-Jana Hoever, Chiedozie Ogbene and Kalvin Phillips will return to their parent clubs after loans. Wilder has made it clear he would like former Leeds United midfielder Phillips back, so it is always possible that could be revisited once the England international has assessed other options.

The Blades' list of 15 players over the age of 24 is slightly deceptive as eight younger players can all be regarded as "seniors". Just because those 23 players have been retained, however, does not mean they will all be back.

Davies' extension surely points to fellow goalkeeper Ivo Grbic spending next season elsewhere having spent last season on loan at Turkish side Fatih Karagumruk. Ruben Selles signings Alex Matos and Nils Zatterstrom did not impress Wilder.

Star player Gustavo Hamer is sure to be in demand elsewhere, with Premier League Leeds long-term admirers.

SENIOR PLAYERS RETAINED: Oli Arblaster*, Patrick Bamford, Andre Brooks*, Harrison Burrows, Tyrese Campbell, Tom Cannon*, Tahith Chong, Michael Cooper, Adam Davies, Ivo Grbic, Gus Hamer, Sam McCallum, Alex Matos*, Mark McGuinness, Rhys Norrington-Davies, Callum O'Hare, Ryan One*, Sydie Peck*, Joe Rothwell, Femi Seriki*, Jamie Shackleton, Japhet Tanganga, Nils Zatterstrom*.

Players over 24 released: Tom Davies, Danny Ings, Ben Mee, Jairo Riedewald.

* under the age of 24