The Sheffield United star who will secretly love Sydie Peck exit news | OneFootball

Oliver Arblaster will likely be given a bigger role in the Sheffield United fold next season if Sydie Peck is sold this summer

Sheffield United will be heading into a Championship campaign without Premier League parachute payments for the first time since the 2018/19 season next year.

Because of this, there has been plenty of speculation over what the Blades squad will look like, as they will likely need to have a greater focus on selling some of their prized assets to balance the books and remain within financial constraints.

Two names which have been circling the rumour mill recently in terms of departures from Bramall Lane are last season's Championship Player of the Season, Gustavo Hamer, and England Under-21 international Sydie Peck.

That's per the reports of Alan Nixon, via his Patreon, with it being stated that they are being viewed as Sheffield United's "main assets" ahead of a busy transfer window.

With Hamer heading into the final year of his contract next season, there'll be some expectation that a decision will be made on the 28-year-old's future, as seen with Anel Ahmedhodzic's departure last summer, as he entered the final year of his deal. However, losing Peck would be a real gut-punch, given his rapid ascent to stardom in the Sheffield United fold.

But, if the 21-year-old does depart, it would open the door for a full return for the man whose absence last year allowed Peck to establish himself in the side.

Oliver Arblaster could benefit from a Sydie Peck sale this summer

Peck had made just one senior appearance for the Blades before the start of last season, and came into the 2024/25 campaign as a backup to a strong midfield pivot of Oliver Arblaster and Vini Souza.

Arblaster, a Sheffield United academy graduate, was thrown into the deep end in the Premier League towards the latter stages of a rather disappointing 2023/24 season. It had very few highlights, but the emergence of the young midfielder was a bright spark, even captaining the side on a couple of occasions.

The 22-year-old had a brilliant start to the Blades' return to the Championship, netting in two of his first three games and donning the armband multiple times, too. The only way that Peck was getting starting minutes was when Arblaster was absent from the squad.

Unfortunately, an ACL injury put an end to his season a mere three months into it, and Arbslaster was forced to watch from the sidelines as Peck would take his place and, ultimately, excel in it.

That would continue into this season, as Arblaster would suffer numerous setbacks, which would delay his return to action until December. Coming back after such a long injury without a pre-season, it's been difficult for him to get up to speed, and he's struggled for starts in 2026.

The 22-year-old hasn't started a league game since February, when he was hooked at half-time in an eventual 2-1 loss to Middlesbrough, and he's had more games as an unused substitute than he has on the pitch since then.

Now, it's Arblaster looking to benefit from an injury or absence from a strong midfield pivot of Peck and Jairo Riedewald — the complete inverse of his situation last season, where he was one of the first names on the teamsheet, and Peck was on the outside looking in.

But a Peck departure in the summer would open up a clear avenue to get his place back and start to cement himself once more as an important player at Bramall Lane.

Sheffield United may not rue Sydie Peck's departure if Oliver Arblaster can step up once more

It's been difficult for Arblaster to get to grips with being back, having spent over a year on the sidelines with such a serious injury, and ultimately returning to the thick of a busy season. For him, the end of the campaign likely can't come soon enough.

A full pre-season would do the 22-year-old wonders, allowing him to reset, build on his fitness more and, ultimately, prepare for a campaign where he may see more starts than he's been afforded in the twilight of the ongoing term.

Peck's departure would help the Blades recoup a good chunk of money, and if Arblaster can perform as he did in the early stages of last season, then Chris Wilder won't be pressed to bring in a direct replacement for the 21-year-old.

That, ultimately, is the main debate, as such a serious injury at a young age can be difficult to properly recover from. But if he could, Sheffield United's hopes of landing in the play-offs at a minimum next season may not be impacted as much as many feel they may without Peck in the squad.