'I cannot control the future' says boss of 10-goal attacker Leeds United moved for
Sheffield United's new manager has admitted he cannot control the transfer situation surrounding a player Leeds United are thought to have retained an interest in.
Ruben Selles has replaced Chris Wilder at Bramall Lane and one of his big hopes is that when the summer transfer window comes to a close star man Gustavo Hamer will still be a Blade. Leeds tested the waters last summer with a bid in the region of £13m, which irked Wilder at the time. Sheffield United had already lost Jayden Bogle to a £5m Elland Road move when Leeds made a second raid, targeting attacking midfielder Hamer as what they believed was a missing piece of the promotion puzzle.
Wilder described Leeds' bid for Hamer as 'a million miles off' and Leeds moved on. Though they did not sign a number 10, they still finished top of the Championship, while Hamer and the Blades lost in the play-off final at Wembley.
While Hamer has almost certainly fallen down the list of priorities at Leeds when it comes to signing a number 10 this summer, they are still believed to hold an admiration for the 28-year-old, who scored 10 goals and added eight assists last season for Sheffield United.
Selles has admitted that he cannot guarantee Hamer will stay this summer but believes the Dutchman is central to Sheffield United's hopes of promotion at the second attempt.
“He’s a Sheffield United player and I want him to be a Sheffield United player when the market closes," he said. "Obviously I cannot control what happens in the future because the market is so fluid and dynamic but my intention is to keep him as one of our key players. He has been key for us and for the team and if we can keep him that will mean we are in a really powerful place to achieve our target.
“We are in a good place, we have a really good squad. We have assessed the squad, we have a really good youth system with some good players and we have room to get a couple of players that can improve our levels as well.”
Leeds' early transfer work so far has centered around bolstering the physicality and strength of Daniel Farke's squad. Their first two signings, free agent Lukas Nmecha and £15m man Jaka Bijol, have added height and presence at both ends of the pitch, while in midfield they have made attempts to prise powerful ball carrier Habib Diarra from Ligue 1 side Strasbourg. Attacking creativity is also on the wishlist this summer however. They remain in the market for number 9 and have had a bid rejected by Fulham for Rodrigo Muniz. The return to Tottenham Hotspur of Manor Solomon will also send them into the market for a winger.