Leeds would be top of the table if ‘incredible’ £15m ace had joined this summer

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It is not often a club is so happy to discuss their transfer plans publicly. Leeds United, then, are very different from the norm in that regard.

During the reign of Andrea Radrizzani, the Italian millionaire seemed happy to tell anyone who would listen just how big Leeds were planning to go in the transfer market.

Former chairman Radrizzani admitted Leeds wanted Roma’s Nicolo Zaniolo and Juventus’ Federico Chiesa back in 2023.

The man who sold his stake at the Elland Road outfit to the San Francisco 49ers a few months ago also had no qualms about admitting that Leeds had also attempted to lure both Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to West Yorkshire.

Some would call it ambitious. Some would call it madness.

Leeds, due in part to their Championship status, are aiming a little lower these days. But CEO Angus Kinnear still appears to be taking a leaf out of the Radrizzani playbook.

Gus Hamer’s Sheffield United form shows why Leeds wanted him

While most EFL chiefs are reluctant to provide such a peak behind the curtain, Kinnear would rattle off a host of names Leeds tried and failed to sign in the window just gone.

Georginio Rutter left Leeds for Brighton to the tune of £40 million in August.

And among the potential replacements, the chief executive said, were Aston Villa’s Emi Buendia and Sheffield United’s Gustavo Hammer.

The latter, Kinnear adds, always felt unlikely. Leeds knew that their approach was more in hope than expectation. Sheffield United, after all, would have been loathe to lose their prized asset to a potential direct promotion rival.

And The Blades’ refusal to even consider offers for their midfield mastermind has been justified by a series of mesmerising Hamer performances to kick start 2024/25.

“Well, he’s got to be up there,” Brammal Lane boss Chris Wilder said during this weekend’s post-match press conference when it was put to him that Hamer may be the best player in the whole of the Championship on current form.

“He’s a big player for us. All those teams that want to have good seasons and be successful, they need game-changers.”

Hamer, four goals in his first six appearances, is certainly that.

Sheffield United were struggling to find a way past an inspired Derby County goalkeeper on Saturday afternoon; Jacob Widell Zetterstrom emulating the great Petr Cech not only through his headgear but also his outstanding reflexes.

That was until Hamer whipped an ‘incredible’ free-kick past Zetterstrom and into the near post, opening the scoring on 53 minutes and netting what would prove to be the only goal of the game.

A hammer from Hamer.

Leeds’ dropped points show why they wanted Hamer at Elland Road

Kinnear admits Leeds felt the former Coventry City playmaker – who left the Sky Blues for a £15 million fee a year ago – would ‘significantly improve [Daniel Farke’s] team’.

It is certainly not hard to imagine that, if last season’s play-off runners’ up had Hamer at their disposal, that goalless draw at West Brom and that maddening 1-0 home defeat to Burnley could have ended very differently indeed.

Leeds are five points off the top. Had they beaten Burnley and West Brom, however, they would likely be at the summit right now.

“He’s a very good player who I was led to believe was getting sold to Leeds,” Derby boss Paul Warne said after his resilient Rams were sheared by Hamer’s razor-like blade.

“I don’t know if that’s true but the best players get attention and get sold for millions and millions. I’d like to think that in the future one of my players will be linked with a £20m move.

“There are a lot of very good players [in the Championship] and he’s one of them.”

Leeds, at least, are seeing a return from their investment with the signings they did end up making.

Ex-Man United starlet Largie Ramazani joined Leeds from Almeria. He opened the scoring in Sunday’s 2-0 win at Cardiff City.

Manchester City superstar Kevin de Bruyne lauded Manor Solomon recently, meanwhile. And the silky winger showed why with a Man of the Match display on his debut against Hull.