"Resisted the temptation" - Pundit hails Sheffield United for snubbing Leeds United advances | OneFootball

The Whites pushed to try and sign the Dutchman this summer.

EFL expert Adrian Clarke has said that Sheffield United should be very happy that they kept star midfielder Gus Hamer this summer amid heavy interest from Leeds United.

The Blades have gone from looking like quite a mess at the start of the summer to one of the teams who are likely to finish in the top six come the end of the season, in large part because of the quality in their team.

While the new options that they brought in during the transfer window will be key to their success, no member of the playing staff has been quite so important to the Blades as Hamer.

The Dutch midfielder has recorded four goals and an assist in United's first six games of the season. Some of the goals - like his most recent one against Derby - have been match-winning ones.

United could have ended up without him this season though, with the 27-year-old, who they only bought in the previous summer from Coventry City for £15 million, was being courted by their Yorkshire rivals Leeds.

It was reported by The Star that Daniel Farke's side had offered Joel Piroe plus cash for Hamer, after an initial bid of £13 million was swiftly turned down. That second offer was rejected too. Chris Wilder later called Leeds' proposals for the midfielder "ridiculous".

Adrian Clarke praises Sheffield United for keeping hold of Gus Hamer

Clarke has stated, on the What The EFL?! podcast, that he believes the Blades will be "very glad" to have kept the Dutchman, especially given Leeds' persistance with trying to get him in the summer.

"He (Hamer) was their player of the year last year," Clarke said. "Leeds wanted him quite badly, United resisted the temptation and they'll be very glad that they did.

"Coming in off the left-hand side, he's been easily their best player so far this season. He’s such a match winner, Hamer, isn't he? I've liked him ever since I saw him play for Coventry City a few years ago.

"They're a good team, no doubt about that. They're very, very solid. They're probably looking for a little bit more from someone like Callum O'Hare. I noticed that he's had two shots this season. Two shots! Callum O'Hare! Unbelievable!

"They're a little bit reliant on Hamer, who's had 21. Kieffer Moore has had 16 and then you're scraping the barrel. Harrison Burrows, the left-back, is on seven, so they need a bit more from some of the other creative players.

"They need to join in and offer a bit more of a threat. In terms of the xG table, they are very much mid-table. So they do need to create better chances and be less reliant on Hamer."

Sheffield United may face transfer interest for Gustavo Hamer in January

Hamer's record both in the Championship and in the Premier League is likely to attract potential suitors come the winter window, particularly if he continues his good start to this season.

When the Blades bought Hamer, they were a team who were likely to be near the bottom of England's top footballing tier, so they lurched into the Championship to find some talent to help them.

You could easily see another team in a similar position to what United were in, or maybe one that's more desperate given the timing of the next available transfer window, that goes all out for the 27-year-old in January.

If they do, the chances of Premier League football returning to Bramall Lane any time soon could be severely dented.