Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has hit out at the agent of one of his players over contract demands.
The Blades boss admitted that he fears one of the stars of their excellent first year back in the Premier League won't sign a new deal at the club over what he described as unrealistic wage demands.
Wilder had offered new deals to four players before football in this country came to a halt in the middle of March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Two of those, John Fleck and Enda Stevens, had returned theirs with signatures on the bottom, however John Lundstram and John Egan are still pending.
In recent weeks, talks have also begun with Oliver Norwood and Wilder has signalled his intention of making Chris Basham the next player to begin talks.
There are also discussions taking place with four loan players over the possibility of extending their deals past June 30 and until the end of the season.
Lundstram was the first to be offered a new contract towards the end of last year, but talks only began with Egan in March.
Midfielder Lundstram's current deal runs out at the end of next month, however, there is a clause which Wilder has confirmed he will activate to keep him at the club for a further 12 months if he does not re-sign.
Speaking to local journalist Alan Biggs as part of his Talking Sport series for Sheffield Live, the Blades boss was discussing finances in football and how the current pandemic must force clubs in this country to show more restraint with spending.
And he revealed that at United, the club will always come first - even when it comes to renewing the contracts of its players.
"There has to be a lot more control over finances because no one wants to lose any football club," he said.
"The fear is that this pandemic will expose a lot of clubs and how they have been managed from top to bottom.
"Football league clubs, like every football club, have a huge responsibility to run their club in the right and correct way and they have to say no to a deal.
"We are in the process of talking about contracts and I know for a fact that possibly one of the players won't re-sign because of an agent thinking there is more money in our football club than there actually is.
"One of the things that we have done at Sheffield United is control what we can do and bring the power back to the football club, recognising players' worth but walking away from deals when we have to walk away from deals.
"I don't get the feeling that has been the case in a lot of Championship clubs and a lot of Football League clubs down the pyramid."
We have already seen how fans favourite Mark Duffy was bombed out at the start of the season because he was badly advised to approach the club for a new contract.
While ever Wilder is at the helm, United will never be in a position where the club's future is at risk because of mismanagement.
We have seen on numerous occasions, even before the club was in the Premier League, how he has walked away from deals because he felt the finances did not suit the club despite his desire to sign that particular player.
Putting power back into the club's hands was one of the first jobs he managed to do after it was revealed that Dean Hammond was able to activate a clause in his contract to extend his stay despite him not being wanted.
And no matter how high up the Premier League table United rise and how giddy people may get about the potential for glory, Wilder will never lose sight of the fact that the club will always be the most important thing in any discussion.
