Sheffield United are looking to raid Yorkshire rivals Barnsley before the transfer deadline, with 21-year-old winger Reyes Cleary emerging as a possible target.

The Blades haven’t had a particularly successful season, currently sitting closer to the bottom three than the top six.

Ruben Selles’ time was about as awful as it could have been, with the Spaniard in command for only six games before the Blades were forced to bring Chris Wilder back to Bramall Lane just months after sacking him.

Wilder has overseen an improvement in form and performance in South Yorkshire since returning for his third term at the club, but with only a few days left in the transfer window, he is running out of time to truly stamp his imprint on the group.

With only a few days until the winter deadline, the Blades have highlighted Barnsley star winger Reyes Cleary as a potential alternative to come in and play off the left flank, according to The Star.

Both Callum O’Hare and Gustavo Hamer have featured in that capacity this season, with the latter making it his own in 2024-25, and if Cleary does sign, the Dutchman in particular may be able to leave, given the early window rumours.

Sheffield United’s Reyes Cleary interest could jeopardize Gustavo Hamer’s future

Hamer has long been regarded as one of the top players in the Championship, having emerged on the scene with Coventry City in 2020, coming inches away from promotion to the Premier League with the Sky Blues before joining the Blades for £15 million in the summer of 2023.

However, his game time has decreased this season, with him starting only 13 of his 21 league matches, after previously being a regular in the starting lineup.

When he has played, it has usually been on the left wing, although he has had to contend with Callum O’Hare for a starting spot, eventually restricting his minutes, as the Aston Villa youth graduate has had a fantastic season.

Sheffield United is interested in Cleary, who has scored five goals and seven assists from out wide for Barnsley in the league. One this season might indicate trouble for Hamer, who has 18 months left on his current contract at Bramall Lane and has previously been linked with a £6 million move away, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Trabzonspor of Turkey, Sevilla of Spain’s La Liga, and Cremonese of Italy’s Serie A were all linked with Hamer earlier in January, and he might be on his way out if Sheffield United agree to a deal for Cleary.

It remains to be seen whether Wilder will allow the Brazilian-born Dutchman to leave the club in the coming days; however, if Cleary does sign, his game time will undoubtedly suffer even more, and at 28, he should be in the prime of his career and will not want to waste it on the bench.

Reyes Cleary has been a star performer for Barnsley this season, prompting various offers from the Championship.

Cleary, 21, has emerged from nowhere to become one of the most exciting prospects in not only League One, but the entire EFL.

Cleary, a West Brom development system graduate, spent the second half of last season on loan with Hartlepool United in the fifth tier of English football, scoring six and assisting three in 20 National League games after previously struggling on loan with League Two Walsall.

The Baggies offered him a new contract in the summer, but the forward took a chance and joined Barnsley on a permanent basis, which has shown to be a wise decision given the level of interest in his abilities.

Sheffield United is not the only club interested in Cleary; Blackburn Rovers and Bristol City are also interested in signing the Englishman before the end of the transfer window.

According to Alan Nixon, Barnsley turned down Blackburn’s second proposal of roughly £1.5 million, while Bristol City is interested in Cleary as a replacement for Anis Mehmeti.

With the deadline approaching on February 2nd, it remains to be seen whether Cleary will make the move to the Championship, and if so, which club.

If the Blades do win the race for his signature, it might set off a chain reaction that sees Hamer leave.