Sheffield United have already made Sydie Peck transfer stance clear amid Sunderland, Newcastle United ‘interest’
Sheffield United have already made their January transfer position clear, with Sydie Peck among the players who could attract renewed interest when the window opens...
Sheffield United managed to fend off transfer interest in Sydie Peck over the summer - but the England U21 international’s star is only continuing to grow with two more Premier League clubs reportedly joining his list of admirers. .
Peck was already seen as one of the most promising young midfielders in the Championship but even more clubs will have sat up and took notice of him after his recent hat-trick against Preston North End at Deepdale.
A number of clubs were already known to have Peck on their radar, including United’s Championship rivals West Ham United, and United’s financial position has led to fears amongst supporters that Peck may be the next out of the door when the January sales begin.
A report today suggesting that Newcastle United and Sunderland have joined the likes of Bournemouth and Brentford as admirers of Peck will have done little to calm those nerves either.
But a tough summer which saw United forced to sell Andre Brooks, Callum O’Hare and Gus Hamer to comply with squad cost ratio rules has reset the clock somewhat at Bramall Lane, with no immediate pressure to offload key assets in January.
That isn’t to say that none will be sold - every player has his price, after all - but the noises coming out of Bramall Lane are of a club on a somewhat sounder financial footing. Boss Chris Wilder has made his own stance clear, with his desire to build a team around the likes of Peck for the long-term no secret.
Speaking to The Star last month in a sit-down interview at Bramall Lane, United chief executive Stephen Bettis said: “There’s no requirement for us to sell players in January.
“We are complying [with SCR] and we are sticking to the rules, which is the most important thing. The work in the summer wasn’t a decision, it had to be done. It wasn't a choice; we had to do it.”
What could also be interesting is the approach United’s owners take to January recruitment if the Blades’ upward momentum continues into the new year. Bettis previously admitted he couldn’t see huge sums of money being spent in a window that is usually more short-term.
“We've got one loan spot available still and if anything really interesting comes up, I think there would be a conversation about it,” Bettis said. “Being mindful of what that looked like from an SCR perspective as well. It may not be what supporters want to hear, but I'd rather tell you the truth.
“And that is that I don't see us writing big cheques for players in January. But we’re under no pressure to sell either. And there is a little bit of headroom now.
“So I think if we really see a change in performances, where we are getting up there, I definitely think there would be discussions.”