Despite still being under contract, Gus Hamer’s future at Sheffield United appears far from guaranteed.
The former Netherlands youth international still has two years left on the contract he signed when he moved from Coventry City in 2023.
However, reports suggest that Hamer prefers a return to the Premier League than another season in the Championship, and there is clearly interest in him.
Ruben Selles, the club’s new manager, still has a lot of work to do at Bramall Lane and could do without the distraction of a lengthy discussion on Hamer’s future.
Hamer Eyes The Premier League
It’s no secret that Hamer wants another crack at the Premier League, having spent one season with the Blades in 2023/24, which resulted in relegation.
Soccernews, a Dutch website, said that the 28-year-old wants to go to the English top division, citing interest from PSV, Leeds United, and Everton.
And it’s understandable, given that he scored four goals and assisted seven times for the Blades during that Premier League season, demonstrating his ability at that level.
At 28 years old, it’s reasonable that Hamer didn’t want to spend his peak years in the highest level.
Hamer’s departure would be a rocky start for Selles.
Hamer is without a doubt the Blades’ current finest player, having led the team in goal involvements last season, just as he had in the Premier League the previous season.
Selles has had a hectic few months, first being fired by Hull City after avoiding relegation, and then being placed at Bramall Lane with promotion as the goal.
There’s plenty for him to do, including adapting the present group to his methods, settling in any new faces, and looking for players to sign from the market.
With plenty of interest but no clear path forward for Hamer, it has the makings of a scenario that may last the entire summer; a distraction Selles could use without dominating his expanding task list.
Losing Hamer would make Sunderland’s defeat much more painful
With Hamer admitting that his major goal is to play in the Premier League, it appears that if the Blades were promoted, there would be far less speculation regarding the Dutchman’s future.
They also had the potential to face Sunderland in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium in May, where they were the favourites.
With just over half an hour gone, the Black Cats had lost captain Luke O’Nien to injury, the Blades had gone up thanks to a Hamer-assisted Tyrese Campbell goal, and they could have extended their lead if not for a close VAR call.
| Hamer in the Championship last term, as per WhoScored | |
|---|---|
| Starts (Sub) | 39 (5) |
| Goals | 10 |
| Assists | 8 |
| Tackles per 90 | 1.2 |
| Key passes per 90 | 1.8 |
| Dribbles per 90 | 1 |
like was the case until the final 15 minutes of the game, when it appeared like United had eked out a narrow victory until Eliezer Mayenda leveled the score and, crushingly for fans in Yorkshire, Tom Watson sealed a stoppage-time win.
The Blades were on the verge of regaining Premier League status, but it was ripped away from them, resulting in Chris Wilder being replaced by Selles.
Such tiny margins can yield dramatically diverse consequences, and in the Blades’ case, one such consequence could be the departure of their greatest player, Hamer.
Wherever Hamer ends up next season, Selles will hope that the problem is resolved sooner rather than later, so that he can make firm plans with or without the creator for his first season in charge at Bramall Lane.
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