Sheffield United will be striving for automatic Championship promotion when the new campaign gets underway in late July. 

The Blades suffered play-off heartbreak, with Nottingham Forest eventually sealing a spot at Wembley via penalties. 

After a slow start, Paul Heckingbottom was appointed as manager at Bramall Lane in November, succeeding Slavisa Jokanvoic after struggling to help the club adapt to the Championship. 

The 44-year-old managed to positively swing things in his side's favour, with the Blades showing promotion-winning form under Heckingbottom.

Looking to avoid a mistake made in preparation for the last campaign, Paul Heckingbottom is reportedly eager to complete his summer transfer business long before the new Championship campaign starts again in July, as per a report from The Star. 

The verdict 

The Blades ended the season in excellent form, playing some excellent football and picking up some very good results in the process, with the appointment of Heckingbottom proving to be a success. 

The 44-year-old managed to galvanise the club at a point where they really needed it, before allowing his more creative and exciting players to flourish.

Heckingbottom managed to transform the expectation levels at Bramall Lane mid-season, that is despite the club going through somewhat of an injury crisis as the campaign progressed. 

The levels of expectation will naturally increase for the 2022/23 campaign, with the Blades looking to build upon a strong finish. 

The Yorkshire club will now be looking to make their additions early, allowing these players to settle before the new season get underway.