West Ham United have once again been linked with Sheffield United midfielder Sydie Peck, with transfer journalist Ekrem Konur reporting that the Hammers are continuing to scout the 22-year-old.
The England Under-21 international has attracted attention from several clubs, with Newcastle United and Sunderland also named in the report. Peck has certainly done his reputation no harm recently, scoring a hat-trick against Preston North End earlier this month, although there is no suggestion that West Ham have made a formal approach.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Peck has been linked with a move to the London Stadium. ExWHUEmployee reported through The West Ham Way back in July that West Ham had been monitoring the midfielder even before the arrival of director of recruitment Nils Koppen.
West Ham’s Summer Interest In Sydie Peck
I looked quite closely at Peck during the summer when West Ham were first linked with him, and I have to say, he was a player who caught the attention.
Back then, however, we didn’t know who was staying and who was going, and the midfield situation was very different.
Since then, West Ham have signed Arne Engels and retained Soungoutou Magassa, while Mohamadou Kanté has emerged as one of the most encouraging performers of the season.
I think Peck is a decent player. Very good, in fact, and somebody who would be extremely useful in the Championship.
But unless there are due to be significant outgoings, I just cannot see this one happening.
Kante has become an important player for West Ham
Would Another Midfielder Block West Ham’s Youngsters?
Lewis Orford is not getting enough game time as it is, and Mohamadou Kanté is having one hell of a breakout season. I wouldn’t particularly want to bring anybody in who might stop that.
And let’s not forget the point Nils Koppen has made about West Ham’s recruitment strategy: the club don’t want to sign players who block the pathway of youngsters coming through.
It’s a philosophy I agree with, particularly when we’ve got young players already showing that they deserve opportunities.
There is clearly something about Peck that West Ham’s recruitment department likes. After all, the interest was being reported before Koppen arrived, and his performances for Sheffield United have only strengthened his case.
But there’s a difference between identifying a good player and identifying a player you actually need.
West Ham have more pressing areas of the squad to strengthen, and unless Scott Parker is expecting a major shake-up in midfield, I’d be surprised to see the club pursue this particular deal in January.