West Ham previously joined Crystal Palace, Leicester City and Bournemouth in transfer race for Sheffield United star | OneFootball

West Ham had joined Premier League rivals Crystal Palace, Leicester City and AFC Bournemouth in the race for Sheffield United star Rhys Norrington-Davies before he suffered his injury setback, according to The Sun.

The Welshman was an important first-teamer for the Blades before he sustained his setback at Coventry City in mid-October, recording 15 appearances during the early stages of the 2022/23 campaign and operating both at centre-back and as a left wing-back for Paul Heckingbottom’s men.

He had been widely tipped to be part of Rob Page’s Wales squad for the World Cup – but the hamstring injury he sustained at the CBS Arena ruled him out of the tournament – a gutting blow for the 23-year-old who had been progressing well.

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Playing an integral role in the Blades’ impressive start to the season, it was a major blow for Paul Heckingbottom’s men as well and he has now undergone surgery as he looks to return to action in 2023.

He now looks set to remain on the sidelines until February – a major shame for the defender who was attracting interest from elsewhere because of his solid performances.

Palace, Leicester and Bournemouth had already been linked with him before – but The Sun have revealed West Ham were also in the race to recruit him. A move in January seems impossible now though.

Considering how good his performances were during the early stages of 2022/23, it’s no surprise that he’s attracting interest from elsewhere but it will be interesting to see what happens with him at Bramall Lane.

Able to play as a left centre-back, it remains to be seen whether Heckingbottom would trust him in that position in the Premier League considering he’s usually a left-back or left wing-back.

A place at left wing-back could potentially be his though – because he could be the perfect long-term successor for the experienced Enda Stevens and could potentially remain above Max Lowe in the pecking order if the ex-Nottingham Forest loanee continues to struggle with injuries.

Lowe is a gifted player – but Heckingbottom needs reliability and Norrington-Davies may be able to provide that when he returns from his own setback.

His versatility is certainly useful – because he can operate as a central defender, an orthodox full-back and a wing-back too. That will make him a more attractive option to other clubs.