Adam Pope Reveals: “I’ve Been Told” Sheffield United Tried to ‘Disrupt’ Leeds Player Following Gustavo Hamer Bid
Gustavo Hamer was a key transfer target for Leeds United in the final two weeks of the transfer window, but the Brazil-born playmaker has stayed at Sheffield United.
Leeds United were eager to sign a no. 10 before the transfer window closed but ultimately failed to secure one, capping off a disappointing summer where several of the club’s best players were sold for profit.
Release clauses set by a previous regime continued to cause issues for the club’s new ownership, The 49ers, and manager Daniel Farke. Players such as Crysencio Summerville, Archie Gray, and Georginio Rutter saw their exit clauses activated by top-tier clubs.
Leeds targeted Hamer as a replacement for Rutter in the no. 10 role. The club initially made a £13 million bid for Hamer, followed by a reported second offer involving cash plus Joel Piroe.
Pope’s Take on the Reported Piroe Swap Bid
The potential swap involving Piroe came as a surprise since Leeds had only signed the Dutch player from Swansea the previous season. Piroe faced criticism for not living up to his £16 million price tag and underperforming in the no. 10 role.
Graham Smyth quickly reported that Leeds denied including Piroe in any bid for Hamer. However, Pope later told Give Me Sport that these reports were fabricated by Sheffield United.
According to Pope, Sheffield United attempted to retaliate against Leeds by trying to unsettle one of their players after Leeds’ approach for Hamer.
“There’s a lot of dispute over Joel Piroe. To be honest, from what I’ve been told, it’s not true. It was more done as a retaliation to disrupt.
So I’m not buying that,” Pope told Give Me Sport.
Sheffield United’s Failed Attempt to Unsettle Piroe
In their attempt to unsettle Piroe, Sheffield United inadvertently proved that Leeds’ bid for Hamer had the desired effect. However, their efforts to disrupt Leeds’ plans with Piroe did not succeed.
This became evident when Piroe came off the bench on Saturday and confidently scored his first goal of the season after being set up by Junior Firpo, silencing his critics and making Sheffield United’s efforts appear misguided.
Although Leeds failed to sign a new no. 10, it is likely to remain a priority area for the club to address in the coming months, with ongoing interest in Hamer expected to continue ahead of the January transfer window.
