SHEFFIELD UNITED have been slapped with a transfer ban.
The promotion-chasing Championship side sit second in the table and look well on course to go up with Burnley.
However, they will not be able to make any new signings as the EFL investigates claims of non-payment of historical transfer fees.
United have breached EFL guideline 52.2.3, which concerns the default of payments to another club “under a transfer or compensation arrangement”.
It is understood this relates to unpaid debt or failure to stick to agreed payment structures for incoming players.
Therefore, the club has essentially been blocked from spending more money on transfers until they have paid their outstanding fees.
READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
Fellow Championship club Cardiff City were also placed under a transfer embargo last month.
That was after the Bluebirds refused to pay the first instalment of the £15million fee to tragic Emiliano Sala’s previous club Nantes.
The latest news, though, comes as a major blow for the Blades with boss Paul Heckingbottom unable to add to his squad in the January transfer window.
Heckingbottom had been desperate to bolster his attack with new additions before the end of the month.
Most read in Football
HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
The transfer embargo adds to the woes already surrounding United.
The Blades are unable to complete their usual pre-match preparations because their new training ground pitch is still not ready, while the club are reluctant to overuse the Bramall Lane pitch.
Heckingbottom, whose side host Hull tonight, said: “We’ve changed things today, training-wise.
“I have to manage myself and adapt to do things we don’t normally do, with not being able to deliver it in the same way.
“Time-wise, it’s still not at the level where we can play competitively on it.
“Usually I would have gone from unopposed tactical sessions into opposed sessions, where I see people making decisions.
“That’s the bit we are going to have to compromise on.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
