Sheffield United warned against Aston Villa transfer to replace Gus Hamer - West Brom star tipped instead | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield United fan pundit shares their thoughts on whether they think Lewis Dobbin would be a good Gus Hamer replacement

Sheffield United will be keen to see the back of the 2025/25 Championship season, with their place in the second tier secured for another year, having failed to make a real challenge for the top six this time around.

Heading into next season, there will be a lot of changes at Bramall Lane, with manager Chris Wilder likely keen to perform surgery on the current Blades squad.

Ruben Selles replaced Wilder in the dugout over the summer, and the Spaniard's time at the helm was an unmitigated disaster, as Wilder was brought back shortly after, though, unfortunately for him, he was not provided the luxury of a summer transfer window.

The likes of Tahith Chong, Mark McGuinness, Louie Barry, Ben Godfrey, and Japhet Tanganga were all signed to various degrees of success, though on the whole, it proved to be an awful window for the Blades; something which Wilder will be keen to remedy this time around.

With parachute payments set to expire this summer, sales will be imperative to fund this rebuild, with Dutch midfielder Gus Hamer being one of several potential exits from South Yorkshire, as Wilder may look to target a player currently on loan with Preston North End to replace him.

Sheffield United could target Lewis Dobbin to replace Gus Hamer this summer

Lewis Dobbin joined Preston on loan in the summer from Aston Villa, having previously had loan spells in the Championship with West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City, but never really lit things up.

This time around, under Paul Heckingbottom, the forward, who joined Villa from Everton in the summer of 2024 for £9 million in a deal which saw Tim Iroegbunum go the other way, has excelled at Deepdale, with eight goals and eight assists in 36 league games for the Lilywhites thus far.

With Hamer looking likely to leave Bramall Lane this summer, Dobbin could potentially be a viable option for Sheffield United, as Football League World's Blades fan pundit, Jimmy, has provided his thoughts on whether Dobbin would be a good replacement for Hamer this summer, or whether the Blades should look elsewhere for a more like-for-like player.

Mikey Johnston, who was previously linked with a move to the red-and-white quarters to the Steel City, has been tipped as a potential replacement for Hamer instead, with the tricky winger having impressed in a difficult campaign for the Baggies by registering two goals and nine assists.

Jimmy said, "I really like Lewis Dobbin. I think he's a good player. He's had a good season at Preston, [but] I'm not convinced he's what we need, if I'm honest.

"I do see him as more of a supporting striker. I know he can come in off the left. Gus Hamer has been sort of a player who comes in from the left-hand side. I do expect Gus to leave, and we will need to replace him, but I don't think Dobbin is a like-for-like.

"I'd like a more traditional winger out on the left-hand side to give us a bit more balance as a side. Somebody like Mikey Johnston would be ideal. We've been linked to Reyes Cleary at Barnsley.

"I'm certainly not saying I'd be unhappy if Lewis Dobbin came through the door, and it does fit the mould of the signings that we're looking at, but I also think we'll look for some Championship experience as well to mix in with some of our signings. So we'll wait and see. I certainly wouldn't say no, but I don't think he's a like-for-like replacement for the left-hand side."

Lewis Dobbin would be a solid addition for Chris Wilder in the event of Gus Hamer's departure

With Hamer looking increasingly likely to leave Sheffield United this summer, a replacement for the Dutchman will, naturally, be needed.

Dobbin would not be an exact replacement for Hamer, who prefers to operate behind the strikers, with the Englishman having shone up front at Deepdale this season alongside either Milutin Osmajic, Daniel Jebbison, or Michael Smith up top.

Wilder has toyed with the idea of playing with both a back four and a back three across various stages of the season, and what system he will look to place moving forward remains to be seen, though Dobbin can fit in either, with his versatility not being a problem.

The centre-forward role has been a problem area for the Blades this season, with neither Danny Ings, Tom Cannon, nor Tyrese Campbell having hit the heights as hoped, prompting the free addition of Patrick Bamford outside the transfer window.

Dobbin would add another option up top, but something will likely have to give with one or two of those players to facilitate such a move, with a loan the most likely avenue.

Wilder would need to pursue a more like-for-like replacement for Hamer to replace his output, as although Dobbin would be a solid addition for the Blades, he and Hamer are not alike, and the Dutchman's role in the side would require more attention to be filled.