Swedish side AIK today announced the signing of Sheffield United midfielder Ismaila Coulibaly, who’ll be loaned to them until the end of the season.
Local outlet Fotboll Skanalen now shares a story on that transfer, quoting club chief Thomas Berntsen about the move.
After the director made some compliments towards Coulibaly, he was asked by the journalists about how long the spell will last for, and revealed they may keep him in the end.
“We have a very good dialogue with Sheffield so if Ismaila is happy, it may well be that he stays longer.”
“No, but we have talked about sums involved so we know roughly where it lies.”
As for whether they could afford the future move, he added: “Yes, it depends on how good we are. If we get good, it can happen. But he is not a cheap player.”
Coulibaly had been struggling to get any playing time at Sheffield United this season. The midfielder hadn’t even been taking to the bench in league games, and only played in the EFL Cup loss to Lincoln City.
That’s why an exit had been the most obvious option, although the Blades dragged until the end of the winter window to find a solution for him.
We shall now see what that loan at AIK will work, as he could convince the Swedish side of going for a permanent move. That seems exactly what Sheffield United will be hoping for.
