Where Vini Souza ranks in the most expensive Sheffield United sales of all time after £12.9m exit

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The Blades have been up and down in recent years, which means plenty of their best players have moved on. So, who is the most expensive Sheffield United sale to date, and does Vini Souza make the list?

In the past five years alone, Sheffield United have been relegated from the Premier League twice, gained promotion once, and last term narrowly missed out on another promotion after losing in the play-off final to Sunderland.

That defeat may well have cost Chris Wilder his job, and it’s also likely to see some top talent departing Bramall Lane.

We already know Vini Souza has joined Wolfsburg this summer, but where does that transfer put him on the list of the most expensive Sheffield United sales of all time?

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Most expensive Sheffield United sales ever

5. Sander Berge – £11.98m

After joining United in January 2020 for a reported £22m (as per TNT Sports), Sander Berge proved he was a top class midfielder very quickly.

The Norwegian ace spent two-and-a-half years in Sheffield, making 109 appearances, before moving on to Burnley in a transfer that was bitterly disappointing for Blades fans.

Berge ended up leaving for just over half of what Sheffield United paid for him, joining the Clarets in a deal worth just under £12m.

4. Vini Souza – £12.92m

Vini Souza’s departure was inevitable as soon as Sheffield United missed out on promotion, with the Brazilian star clearly proving himself to be too good for the Championship.

He joined Wolfsburg for just under £13m, which does actually net United a small profit; they signed Souza for around £10.8m back in 2023.

The midfield enforcer made 76 appearances for the Blades and was key to their promotion push last season, but certainly deserves to be playing at the top level.

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3. Cameron Archer – £14.35m

He may be just 23-years-old, but Cameron Archer has had a hectic career journey already. The young striker came through the ranks at Aston Villa, but after a couple of loan spells at Preston and Middlesbrough, he landed at Sheffield United in the summer of 2023.

Archer cost the Blades for a fee of around £18m, making him one of Sheffield United’s most expensive signings to date. He then returned to Villa less than a year later in an odd transfer, with United taking a hit of about £4m on the deal.

He scored four goals in 29 Premier League games for United before moving on, and he’s now going to have a chance to show what he can do in the Championship with Southampton.

2. Iliman Ndiaye – £14.65m

While Sheffield United may have made a loss on a few players, they did manage to make a tidy profit on Iliman Ndiaye. After picking up the Senegal international on a free transfer from Non-League side Boreham Wood, Ndiaye would go on to make 88 appearances for United, scoring 22 goals and adding 14 assists.

He did all of that in the Championship, but Ndiaye’s form was enough to catch the attention of French outfit Marseille in the summer of 2023.

Ndiaye went back to Marseille, where he spent time as a youth between 2010-2014, for a fee of £14.65m. He’s since returned to England and is showing real promise at Everton.

1. Aaron Ramsdale – £24.12m

After coming through the Sheffield United academy, Aaron Ramsdale left the club in 2017 to join Bournemouth for just over £800,000. Through various loan spells and a successful period with the Cherries, he returned to United in 2020, for a whopping £18m.

That may have been a frustrating fee to pay for a former player, but the Blades did make their money back and then some just a year later. Ramsdale joined Arsenal for an initial £24m, and there is even a belief that another £6m in add-ons could come Sheffield United’s way.

The goalkeeper has since joined Southampton, but after suffering relegation last season, Ramsdale is expected to leave the Saints again this summer.