Gus Hamer 2.0 might already be at Sheffield United | OneFootball

Gustavo Hamer has returned to Coventry City this summer, and Callum O'Hare could be set to take up his mantle at Sheffield United.

Sheffield United's squad has been ripped apart this summer by head coach Chris Wilder, and the Blades' most damaging exit yet probably comes in the form of Gus Hamer leaving for Coventry City. But this could open a window of opportunity for one other player in the club's ranks.

It's been a busy summer window at Bramall Lane thus far, especially in terms of outgoings.

Over ten first-team players have departed South Yorkshire thus far, either at the expiry of their contracts, at the end of their loans, or having been sold, including the likes of Danny Ings, Tyler Bindon, and Andre Brooks, the latter of whom was sold for £8 million to Norwich City.

For a period, Matt Doherty and Romelle Donovan remained their only additions, though Kalvin Phillips has returned to the club on a season-long loan from Man City, whilst Leicester City's Harry Souttar is being actively pursued.

However, one more major exit has taken place, with Coventry City having agreed a reported £6 million plus add-ons deal to bring Dutch midfielder Gustavo Hamer back to the CBS Arena this summer following promotion, in a move that could provide a new lease of life for one Blades star.

Callum O'Hare could take on the mantle left behind by Gustavo Hamer at Sheffield United

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Hamer, 29, joined Sheffield United in the summer of 2023 for around £15 million from Coventry, after shining for the Sky Blues in the Championship under Mark Robins, scoring 19 and assisting 24 in 132 games for the club across all competitions.

He spent just one year in the Premier League with the Blades before being relegated, but has continued to shine in the second tier, scoring 22 and assisting 29 in 123 games across all competitions in South Yorkshire.

His departure will without a doubt be a huge disappointment for Sheffield United, who are losing their most creative and influential player by far, though not all is bad.

Callum O'Hare, who incidentally also joined Wilder's side from Coventry one year after Hamer on a free transfer, has been a regular under the 58-year-old, and briefly Ruben Selles, ever since his arrival.

The 28-year-old has missed just three league games for the Blades since joining in 2024, including in the play-offs, and whilst his 12 goals and 14 assists in 92 appearances across all competitions are a solid return, he has always been the shadow of Hamer.

Now, it's time for him to step up and take the Sheffield United squad by the scruff of the neck, and stamp his authority on the Championship.

How do Gustavo Hamer and Callum O'Hare compare?

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Last season, Hamer and O'Hare were both regulars in the Sheffield United starting XI in the Championship, with the former making 37 appearances and the latter 45 appearances, respectively.

However, Hamer made just 27 starts compared to O'Hare's 41. Despite this, the former was the most creative player in the Championship last campaign, recording 12 assists, one more than Stoke City's Sorba Thomas.

From this table, we can gather Hamer, whilst deployed predominantly on the left flank throughout the campaign, preferred to spray passes around the pitch, get crosses into the box, dictate play, and remain in a deeper role.

His shot map, as per FotMob, also reflects this, with the vast majority of his efforts coming from outside of the box, with the Dutchman a much more influential figure in the build-up phase.

Comparing O'Hare's data with Hamer, we can see that the pair excel in slightly different areas.

O'Hare's off-the-ball work exceeds that of Hamer's, whilst his touches in the opposition box are over triple that of the Dutchman, picking up much more advanced positions than his teammate.

Whilst both took 71 shots across the campaign, O'Hare's efforts more often than not came much closer to the goal than those of Hamer's, once again emphasising the different roles they picked up in the final third.

Whether O'Hare can replicate Hamer's role of dropping deeper and being more of a creator remains to be seen, he must aim to become more influential in the final third to pick up the mantle left behind by the Dutchman, though whether he will be able to do so without the Coventry-bound midfielder facilitating him is up for debate.

Chris Wilder must put his faith in Callum O'Hare to effectively replace Gustavo Hamer at Sheffield United

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Replacing Hamer, especially like-for-like, is a near impossible task for Wilder to complete, as the Sheffield United boss must look for another way to mitigate his departure.

Attacking reinforcements, especially with the loss of Brooks, is a necessity for Wilder to source, and whilst he may look to O'Hare to pick up some of that slack, more options are needed in the final third.

But Hamer's departure provides O'Hare with the opportunity to become the main man in the Blades attack for this upcoming campaign, and he mustn't shy away from this chance.