Everton are considering a move for Sheffield United playmaker Gustavo Hamer, who could be on the move after the Blades missed out on promotion to the Premier League.
The 27-year-old has featured as an attacking midfielder and as a left-winger for Sheff Utd this season, two areas Everton are looking to strengthen in.
Hamer played a key role in Sheff Utd’s impressive campaign that saw them narrowly miss out on automatic promotion and lose the Championship play-off final, notching 10 goals and eight assists.
TEAMtalk revealed on April 30 that Everton hold an interest in Hamer and could now intensify their pursuit in the coming weeks.
The Toffees have confirmed that Abdoulaye Doucoure will leave this summer. They are working on a deal to sign Flamengo loanee Charly Alcaraz permanently, who is viewed as Doucoure’s replacement, but signing Hamer as well could be possible.
However, Everton will face competition for Hamer. Leeds United are long-term admirers and had a reported £13m bid rejected for him last summer and could reignite their interest following promotion.
Journalist Graeme Bailey, meanwhile, has reported for EFL Analysis that Fulham and Brentford are ‘huge admirers’ of Hamer and have been ‘watching him closely’ in recent weeks.
READ MORE: Man City to axe record-breaking winger after Guardiola ‘talks’ as Everton put on red alert
Everton launch ‘enquiry’ for Gustavo Hamer
Sheff Utd want to keep Hamer but if the player pushes for a move then they could be forced into selling him for the right price.
The Blades are yet to put a firm price tag on the dynamic midfielder but reports suggest a fee in the region of £20m could be enough to lure him from Bramall Lane.
As we have consistently reported, David Moyes wants to sign players with Premier League experience and Hamer notched four goals and seven assists with Sheff Utd in the topflight in 2023/24 despite their disappointing season.
Moyes also isn’t afraid of taking a punt on players from the Championship. He brought Tim Cahill to Everton from Millwall and Jarrod Bowen to West Ham from Hull City, for instance.
Journalist Ben Jacobs has reported that Everton have enquired about a move for Hamer and it remains to be seen whether a formal bid will follow.
No concrete talks have taken place yet and the Toffees will have to move quickly if they want to win the race, with Leeds lurking and other sides keen.
DON’T MISS: Newcastle hold showdown Liam Delap talks after striker ‘impressed’ by Everton pitch – sources
Gustavo Hamer: Why it’s time for the next step
By Samuel Bannister
Hamer earned his move to the Premier League after three seasons in the Championship with Coventry City when Sheffield United bought him upon their promotion in 2023.
He played 36 times in his debut Premier League campaign, but the Blades suffered relegation and their failure to win the Championship play-off final has consigned them to another season in the second tier.
But Hamer might have shown he is too good to stick around at that level. Drawing on insight from TEAMtalk’s Sheffield United expert James Holland, here are the main reasons why Hamer is ready for the step up.
Hamer has regularly been one of the best players in the Championship, but he will turn 28 in June, so will likely want to step up now.
Despite Sheffield United’s failure to earn promotion, Hamer was named the Championship player of the season. The last five players to win that award were Crysencio Summerville for 2023-24, Chuba Akpom for 2022-23, Aleksandar Mitrovic for 2021-22, Emiliano Buendia for 2020-21 and Ollie Watkins for 2019-20.
All of that quintet were playing top-flight football, either via promotion or a transfer, the following season. In fact, not since Kevin Phillips from 2007-08 to 2008-09 has the Championship player of the season continued playing in the Championship the following season.
Hamer would have been the Blades’ talisman in the Premier League next season, but their chances of going up took a big hit when he went off in the play-off final against Sunderland, and they could now struggle to get him to stay.
He has been toying with Championship defenders (a bit like Iliman Ndiaye did at Bramall Lane ahead of his Premier League move to Everton), which shows he’s a class above.
Hamer ranks in the 99th percentile of Championship midfielders for shots per 90 minutes in 2024-25, as well as the 98th for combined expected assists and non-penalty expected goals, plus the 96th for shot-creating actions and the 93rd for successful take-ons.
Put simply, he’s stood out in the second tier and it could well be time to test himself at a higher level.
DON’T MISS: Newcastle hold showdown Liam Delap talks after striker ‘impressed’ by Everton pitch – sources