Ipswich Town plotting double Sheffield United transfer raid | OneFootball

The Tractor Boys hold an interest in two of the Blades' top talents

Ipswich Town are interested in signing Sheffield United duo Gustavo Hamer and Anel Ahmedhodzic this summer as Kieran McKenna looks to bolster his squad ahead of the club's return to the Premier League.

TWTD has reported that previous claims linking midfield enforcer Hamer with a move to East Anglia are true, while Bosnian international Ahmedhodzic is on McKenna's list of potential central-defensive recruits as he aims to strengthen his backline before the transfer window closes on August 30.

Hamer joined the Blades from Coventry City last summer, after their own promotion to the top flight, and was a standout in his debut Premier League season despite a dismal campaign for the club as they were relegated back to the second-tier.

Ahmedhodzic, meanwhile, has been at United for two seasons since arriving from Malmo, and was impressive in their 2022/23 Championship promotion campaign and then a near ever-present last season as Chris Wilder's side failed to survive the drop.

The Blades' boss will not want to lose either of his star players as he bids for an immediate bounce back to the top-flight, but could see both depart this month if Ipswich's interest materialises into a double transfer advance, with guaranteed Premier League football on offer at Portman Road.

Sheffield United will not want to lose Hamer or Ahmedhodzic

With one game of the Championship season gone, it has already been made clear just how pivotal both players are to the Blades' chances of promotion in 2024/25.

Wilder's men took on Preston North End on the opening day of the new campaign, and won 2-0, with the second a delightful dink by Hamer as he capitalised on keeper Freddie Woodman's mistake to send the away crowd at Deepdale into raptures, and secure United's first league away win since a 3-1 victory over also-relegated Luton Town in February.

The Brazilian-born midfielder started from the off against the Lilywhites and was taken off 20 minutes before the final whistle for Anis Ben Slimane, who is a much less experienced player, so it is clear that he is a must-keep for Wilder this month.

25-year-old Ahmedhodzic was also given a starting berth as he partnered Jack Robinson in Wilder's new-look back four, and he stood firm for the whole ninety minutes as the hosts' attackers were given very little sight of goal and the Blades kept a first league clean sheet since last December against Brentford.

Both players would be smart additions for Ipswich

Sheffield United's desire to keep the pair at the club will be enough to show Town boss Kieran McKenna that he is right to go after both players, as he seeks to guide his side to safety in the club's first top-flight campaign since 2001/02.

He has already poached some highly-regarded Championship talents this summer in the form of Jacob Greaves, Conor Townsend and Arijanet Muric from Hull City, West Brom and Burnley respectively, as well as two previous second-tier loanees in Omari Hutchinson and Liam Delap, so he is clearly comfortable in trusting his new players to make the step up to the top-flight, and Hamer and Ahmedhodzic would be no different.

Hamer would add some much-needed steel and quality to a midfield that looks slightly lacking with less than a week to go until the Premier League season kicks-off, while Ahmedhodzic would rival the likes of Greaves, Axel Tuanzebe and Luke Woolfenden for a spot in the starting eleven throughout the campaign.

Both players would be a good fit for McKenna's slick, high-intensity style of play, but it remains to be seen whether the club's interest will go any further this month.