Sheffield United should look to ex-Birmingham City winger as Gus Hamer successor | OneFootball

The Blades are expected to dip into the loan market for Hamer's replacement, and Ibrahim Osman would be a viable option

Sheffield United have had an intriguing pre-season leading up to the Championship campaign, and it's fair to say that there isn't the greatest deal of positivity swirling around Bramall Lane at present.

Last season was one of immense frustration for the Blades, as even though Chris Wilder's return to S2 last September saw them resurrect a disastrous period under Ruben Selles, but they could only finish 13th.

Wilder has since set his stall out in terms of rebuilding the squad and hoping to mount a greater challenge towards the expanded play-offs, but a major dent in those hopes was confirmed on Tuesday when Gus Hamer returned to Coventry City.

It is also a loss in a financial sense for United, who recruited the 29-year-old for £15m from the Midlands side three years ago, as he went on to post 51 goal contributions in 123 matches.

However, attention must turn towards sourcing a replacement, and with it being revealed just how United plan to do exactly that, a move for ex-Birmingham City loanee, Ibrahim Osman, could be the perfect solution.

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Osman's parent club, Brighton and Hove Albion, have become synonymous with developing homegrown talent and foreign imports in recent times, with the Ghanaian winger falling into the latter category after a £16m switch from FC Nordsjaelland in February 2024.

Despite still being just 21 years of age, the attacker has had quite an intriguing career path thus far, having three loan spells away from the AMEX Stadium in that time.

And, after mixed spells at Feyenoord and AJ Auxerre, Birmingham swooped in January for Osman's services.

Although the highly-rated prospect only scored twice and produced as many assists, he received plaudits from Chris Davies for his "unorthodox ability," which, at times, presented a problem for defenders, but it feels rather apparent that his end product could be worked on with yet another season in the second tier.

Ibrahim Osman's addition would add more pace to Sheffield United's midfield despite Gus Hamer exit

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Whilst no one could doubt the creative spark which Hamer was able to provide at Bramall Lane, particularly in the assist count, one criticism was that United did lack pace in wide areas when the Dutch-Brazilian featured on the left-hand side of midfield, which occurred in 20 of his 39 appearances across all competitions last season.

At present, one of very few viable options for Wilder would be to start another former Blues man, Tahith Chong, in said position in a bid to get the Curaçao international back in form after featuring at the FIFA World Cup following a turbulent first season in the Steel City.

Yet, whilst Osman still has plenty to work on, as previously mentioned, his direct nature could be a real asset for the Blades when it comes to stretching opposition defences and facing up against full-backs in one-on-one duels.

Furthermore, Wilder also has a strong track record when it comes to enhancing the development of youngsters, most recently the likes of Femi Seriki and Andre Brooks.

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Another player who could be impacted by this potential transfer is Callum O'Hare, who enjoyed a fine individual season last time out and was named as the Blades' Player of the Year.

But, despite registering eight goals and as many assists in 45 outings, it is fair to say his position in the 'number 10' role was far from guaranteed ahead of Hamer's return to the CBS Arena.

It was claimed in May that Wilder had tasked his recruitment team to find a new left-winger, with the vision of returning Hamer to a central attacking midfield position, where he has also previously flourished.

As such, O'Hare, 28, will likely continue in his role and now be viewed as a creator-in-chief, but there should be no major worries about how he handles such pressure due to a confident personality.

Sheffield United could give Birmingham City more transfer regret if Ibrahim Osman joined

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Given how he performed during his time with Blues, both on and off the pitch, Davies was clearly open to striking a reunion with Osman, but with there now just under three weeks until the summer window shuts, it has been revealed by the 41-year-old that the chances of such feats aren't too likely.

The winger has earned praise from Seagulls boss, Fabian Hürzeler, in pre-season, and could still earn gametime with his current employers due to their involvement in the UEFA Conference League.

However, the picture of the transfer market can change quickly with clubs desperate to plug gaps, and if a move for Osman becomes a possibility, United could give their divisional rivals even more transfer regret, as they also hope former Birmingham academy graduate, Romelle Donovan, can shine on loan from Brentford.