Sheffield United transfer for ex-England international would be 'strange' as Sydie Peck alarm raised | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield United Fan Pundit has raised a concern about Sydie Peck's future with the Blades reportedly interested in Ross Barkley.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

It's been a difficult season for Sheffield United so far, and while they look like they do have enough to avoid a relegation battle at the end of the campaign, work still needs to be done in the January transfer window.

The Blades are currently 16th in the Championship, eight points above the bottom three. However, they are also just nine points off the play-off places and Chris Wilder will be keen to close this gap in the coming weeks and bringing in new stars will be vital to his goal.

Therefore, a report on Thursday morning from Pete O'Rourke linking Sheffield United with a move for Ross Barkley from Aston Villa will definitely excite supporters of the South Yorkshire outfit.

However, a move for the former Chelsea and Everton man could leave two current Blades midfielders down the pecking order at Bramall Lane.

Sheffield United fan weighs in on Ross Barkley interest - Sydie Peck worry emerged

Barkley has made just seven appearances for Aston Villa this season in the Premier League, scoring only once. He played 20 times in the league in 2024/25, but his game time has lessened dramatically, as well as suffering a recent knee injury, and a loan move for the second half of the campaign would allow him much-needed minutes on the pitch.

Nonetheless, when asked by Football League World if he would welcome the 32-year-old to S2 in the January transfer window, Sheffield United Fan Pundit, Jimmy from the Blades Ramble YouTube channel admitted he'd be quite excited by the prospect of Barkley in the red and white shirt.

However, he is also worried about what it may mean for one of United's current stars Sydie Peck in terms of his future, should a deal for Barkley happen.

"This is a strange link for me because it's clearly a really strong option as a number eight in the Championship," Jimmy told FLW.

"I think he improves our starting 11, so that is probably why if we are actually after Ross Barkley, that's probably why we're in for him.

"But we've also got Oli Arblaster and Sydie Peck who play in that number eight position really well at this level and we've got high hopes for them after both coming through our academy.

"So, does it block them a little bit? Or does it mean one of them, possibly Peck, might actually be on their way out? Something that we didn't think was possible this window.

"It's a really interesting link. I think if we're going to go for a central midfielder, we'd go for more of a six. Somebody to compete with Jairo Riedewald as that holding midfielder in the middle alongside the eight.

"So, it’s a really interesting link, but he's a quality player, so it'll be interesting to see what happens from here."

Ross Barkley would be a sensational coup for Sheffield United - but not at the expense of Sydie Peck

Barkley has an incredible amount of experience, with the majority of his career being played in the Premier League. He has played 291 games in England's top flight, while also racking up 27 appearances in Ligue 1.

A 33-time capped England international, there is no doubting the talent and ability of the midfielder on his day, and in the Championship he would be a dominant force in the middle of the park for Sheffield United.

His form for Luton Town in the Premier League in 2023/24 was simply sensational, and if he can find that same level for the Blades, then Wilder may well be able to mastermind an incredible turnaround this season after a dreadful start to the campaign.

However, having only played 145 minutes of football this season, it may take Barkley a little bit of time to get match fit and, therefore, Arblaster and Peck will have the opportunity to fight for their places in the team while this happens if a move does come.

Peck himself is currently sidelined through injury, but before his setback he'd added goals to his game finally, which was much-needed and added another dimension to his game - and that is likely going to see him get attention.

Can United sacrifice his development for cash and an experienced hand like Barkley? Only time will tell if that's going to happen.