Nottingham Forest turn attention to Sheffield United player after Hayden Hackney blow | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest are keen on Sheffield United midfielder Sydie Peck after Middlesbrough rejected the Premier League club's bid for Hayden Hackney.

Nottingham Forest have turned their attention to Sheffield United in their quest to sign a new midfielder as the transfer deadline nears.

Chris Wilder's men remain just 17th in the Championship following Saturday's 1-1 draw with Millwall, which saw Mihailo Ivanovic's equaliser for the Lions cancel out Andre Brooks' opener.

The Blades are now 11 points adrift of the play-off spots, but they showed their quality when they defeated automatic promotion chasers Ipswich Town 3-1 in their last home game.

Meanwhile, Kalvin Phillips is set to join Sheffield United, as Wilder attempts to ready his squad for a late top-six bid.

Nottingham Forest eye move for Sydie Peck following failed Hayden Hackney bid

Premier League outfit Forest have seen a bid rejected for Middlesbrough's Hayden Hackney, but Sean Dyche's men remain keen on adding a midfielder to their ranks before the transfer window closes.

The Sheffield Star have revealed that the City Ground club are keeping tabs on Blades ace Sydie Peck, who has made 23 Championship appearances this term, notching three goals and one assist in the process.

Meanwhile, Sky Sports have reported that Forest have seen three bids rejected for Celtic and Belgium star Arne Engels, who also plays as a central midfielder - if they want to land Peck though before the deadline, they don't have long to strike a deal before deel sheets need to be submitted.

Sydie Peck should favour staying at Sheffield United over joining Nottingham Forest

Phillips' imminent Sheffield United arrival should not dampen Peck's chances of game time, as the 21-year-old is capable of competing for minutes ahead of the likes of Ollie Arblaster and former Everton man Tom Davies.

However, even though Forest are eager to sign a new midfielder, the ex-Oldham Athletic loanee could struggle to beat the likes of England international Elliot Anderson and Ibrahim Sangare to a starting spot in Dyche's side.

Peck was a class act for the Blades last term, making 45 Championship appearances as the Steel City club reached the play-off final, where they were ultimately beaten by Sunderland.

However, the 2024/25 season was the England youth international's first campaign as a regular feature at Bramall Lane, while he arguably only played so many games due to Arblaster's absence through injury.

Therefore, moving to the Premier League with less than a season-and-a-half of Championship experience under his belt may not be a wise move for Peck to make at this stage in his career, even though he made one top-flight appearance when the Blades were relegated in 2023/24.

The fact that the 21-year-old has notched three goals and two assists already this season, compared to last term's tally of zero goals and three assists, epitomises the improvement he is making in the second tier.