Sheffield United face new West Ham threat in Brighton winger chase | OneFootball

Amario Cozier-Duberry had been credited with a move to Sheffield United last season, but West Ham may land him this summer

Sheffield United will be looking to add some attacking X-Factor to their squad this summer to push back towards being a promotion-contending club in the Championship.

However, they're having to be wary of how much it would cost to bring those talented frontmen to the club, with the Blades set to begin next season without Premier League parachute payments.

It's the first time that Sheffield United haven't been in receipt of them since their initial top-flight promotion under Chris Wilder back in the 2018/19 term, and it means that funds will need to be raised this summer, and high-quality loanees will also likely need to be explored, with a lack of funds to buy players available compared to previous years.

The South Yorkshire side were linked with one of the most exciting young widemen in the EFL last September, amidst their nightmarish start to the campaign under Ruben Selles. Indeed, Amario Cozier-Duberry, who was excelling on loan at Bolton Wanderers from Brighton and Hove Albion, was of interest to the Blades, per Alan Nixon.

That report came one day before Chris Wilder returned to the Bramall Lane dugout for a third stint, and thus, the interest died down. However, with the 21-year-old likely available for loan once more this summer, there'd have been no surprises if Sheffield United rekindled their interest.

West Ham's fresh links to Amario Cozier-Duberry may stop Sheffield United from revisiting former target

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Unfortunately, even if Sheffield United were to re-ignite their pursuit of Cozier-Duberry to help freshen up their wide attacking options via the loan market, it seems that they wouldn't be the only promotion hopeful putting their name in the hat.

According to The Athletic, recently relegated West Ham are interested in the 21-year-old to help bolster the squad and perhaps even replace some potential high-profile departures out wide, such as Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville, this summer.

Evidently, Championship sides believe that Cozier-Duberry could be good enough to play a key part in a promotion push, and it's clear to see why.

Per Fotmob, the on-loan Bolton man ranked in the top 10% of right wingers in chances created, successful dribbles and touches in the opposition box per 90 in League One, despite playing more minutes than the majority of those he'd be competing with.

He's a winger who gets fans off their seats due to how entertaining he is on the ball, while also bringing the end product required to push sides towards the top of the table. In a way, it'd be a coup if any Championship club manages to secure him, as he could easily fit into the Brighton squad as they embark on a European tour next season.

Nevertheless, if he is going to land in the second tier, it'll make sense from both the player and the Seagulls' perspective for him to move to a club expected to challenge at the top, and with West Ham among the early favourites to secure promotion, it would be hard to see anyone dislodging them from being the number one option for the electric winger.

Sheffield United could be dealt harsh reality check through Amario Cozier-Duberry race

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Just last year, Sheffield United were the elite Championship side when it came to Premier League clubs looking for a place for their exciting youngsters to bridge the gap between the third tier and the top flight.

Both Louie Barry and Tyler Bindon arrived with plenty of hype and expectation at Bramall Lane, in that they both could help a side that accumulated 92 points the year prior but didn't get promoted, go one further and get over the line.

Bindon grew into the squad as his time at Sheffield United went on, but Barry was almost immediately discarded by Chris Wilder as soon as he came back, and a knee injury picked up shortly after saw his loan move cancelled in January.

Perhaps the thought of bringing in a top young wideman who excelled in League One this summer isn't on the mind of those at Bramall Lane because of how big a flop the Aston Villa man was, but even if Cozier-Duberry was, it doesn't seem as if they'd be securing him anyway.

Now, there are more attractive destinations in Sheffield United's division than they are, which could serve as a reality check that they need to get back to their former glory soon, or else they face being pushed down the pecking order for exciting loanees from top-flight clubs even further.

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