West Ham plotting move for Sheffield United star - Chris Wilder thinks he is "outstanding" | OneFootball

The Blades are facing some Premier League pressure for one of their rising stars.

Sheffield United midfielder Sydie Peck is an option that West Ham United are looking to add to their resources in the centre of the pitch this summer.

Graham Potter is looking at a number of second tier players this summer, Peck being one of them. According to The Guardian, the Englishman is one of the midfielders that the London-based side are looking at.

The 20-year-old had a breakthrough season last time out with the Blades, filling the position that Ollie Arblaster held before he picked up a season-ending knee injury in the first Steel City derby of the season versus Sheffield Wednesday. He is reportedly being monitored by Brighton & Hove Albion.

Peck appeared in 42 Championship games and started 32 of them for Chris Wilder in the 2024/24 campaign - with the Blades boss hailing the midfielder's performances this season as "outstanding".

He helped to guide the Blades to the play-off final, but they unfortunately lost 2-1 to Sunderland at Wembley and missed out on the opportunity to join West Ham in the top flight next season.

West Ham interested in signing Sydie Peck

A move to London would not be an unusual one for the England under-20 to make. He was part of Arsenal's academy system until the summer of 2021, when he moved up to Bramall Lane from the capital. Now a return to the country's biggest city could be on the cards should West Ham launch a move for him.

According to The Guardian, Peck is a player that West Ham like the look of, but he's not the only EFL talent that they hold an interest in. Middlesbrough's Hayden Hackney is also said to be on their list of targets, as is one of Sunderland's play-off final heroes, Eliezer Mayenda.

That trio can be added to an even longer list of links between Potter's side and players from the Championship. The Daily Mail have said that they are interested in Southampton's Shea Charles.

His teenage teammate Tyler Dibling has also been connected with a move to the London Stadium this summer, according to talkSPORT, alongside Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Aaron Ramsdale and Kyle Walker-Peters, who is set to become a free agent this summer. The interest in Ramsdale, however, isn't that strong, as per The Guardian.

Sheffield United are well protected against any Sydie Peck interest

Peck's performances at his current level and age were always going to attract interest. More and more Premier League teams are starting to realise the vast, and often cheaper, talent that they can extract from the Championship before they hit their peaks.

The good thing for the Blades is that they have the 20-year-old tied down to a long-term deal and will be under no pressure to offload their midfield starlet any time soon, which means, if West Ham really want him, they will have to pay a large premium in order to get him.