Championship outfit Sheffield United have privately acknowledged that it will be difficult to sign Filip Uremovic after failing to win promotion to the Premier League this term, according to The Star.

The 25-year-old currently faces an uncertain future as he prepares to head back to Rubin Kazan, even with the Russian war in Ukraine still ongoing at this stage with no end in sight.

During the early stages of this invasion, FIFA opened a special window to allow non-Russian players to suspend their contract temporarily and move to another side away from Russia for the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign.

The governing body are yet to take a further decision on their futures yet though and this could mean Uremovic returns to Kazan in time for the 2022/23 season, even with the Russian side being relegated from the top tier.

This could boost the Blades' chances of recruiting the Croatian - and Paul Heckingbottom's side are interested in retaining him despite only seeing the defender make a limited number of appearances during his time at Bramall Lane.

With Charlie Goode departing the South Yorkshire side on the expiration of his loan deal and Jack O'Connell yet to return from his long-term injury, United will be looking to strengthen this area and may see Uremovic as the ideal candidate to come in.

However, the Blades believe it will be hard to recruit him if he did leave his current side, potentially persuading Heckingbottom to focus on other targets instead, although they are keeping tabs on him at this point.

The Verdict:

Although he only made a few appearances for the Blades, he has already become accustomed to life in South Yorkshire in recent months and this is why he would be a good addition if they were able to get a deal over the line.

It shouldn't take him too long to settle back in and with the Croatian already understanding Heckingbottom's demands, the Blades' manager won't need to devote as much time to him.

This can only be a good thing with other potential signings this summer also needing to settle in - and with the 25-year-old possibly arriving permanently - that could enable United to sell him on in the future.

Under their current owners, the Blades seem unwilling to spend a huge amount and this is why they may miss out on the centre-back if Kazan are allowed to sell him, because they may want to hold out for a decent fee for one of their prized assets.

Wages may also be an issue, although the fact the English side were able to agree terms with Uremovic before should provide optimism that they can reach an agreement again if they get to that stage.