Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder hinted in a recent press conference that Leeds United missed out on signing Jesurun Rak-Sakyi during the summer transfer window. In addition, Leeds also failed in their attempts to secure the services of Blades midfielder Gustavo Hamer.
Earlier in the summer, Leeds had successfully signed Jayden Bogle from Sheffield United, one of the first deals to be wrapped up.
However, as the transfer window drew to a close, their pursuit of Hamer hit a stumbling block. Reports suggested that the two clubs could not agree on a valuation for the midfielder, with Alan Nixon revealing that Leeds had a £13 million bid rejected.
Wilder has now claimed that Leeds also missed out on another target, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, who ultimately joined Sheffield United on loan from Crystal Palace.
Wilder’s Take on Leeds’ Missed Opportunity
Rak-Sakyi had been linked with a move to Elland Road as Leeds sought to find a replacement for Crysencio Summerville.
The talented midfielder attracted considerable attention over the summer, with two bids for his services reportedly being turned down by Crystal Palace. Wilder hinted that one of those bids came from Leeds.
“In our pitch, I said how important Bramall Lane was,” Wilder remarked after Sheffield United’s win against Watford.
“There were two £15m bids for him and three-quarters of the Championship sides were in for him as well. Part of the pitch was him feeling what he felt today. For him, for Jamie Shackleton, for Michael Cooper, it was big and hopefully they’ve enjoyed their first win in a red-and-white shirt.
“He [Rak-Sakyi] is going to be a player. There were two big bids for him to Crystal Palace, one out of our division and one out of the Premier League. We beat off a whole host of Championship clubs. All the players wanted to come here. And if I was a player, I’d want to come here on days like today as well.”
Rak-Sakyi made his first Championship start for Sheffield United against Watford and impressed on his full debut.
Wilder’s Criticism of Leeds’ Transfer Tactics
This isn’t the first time Wilder has taken a swipe at Leeds United’s transfer dealings. The Blades boss previously criticised Leeds’ bid for Gustavo Hamer, describing it as “a million miles off.”
Wilder didn’t hold back on his feelings about the transfer saga, also taking issue with Leeds’ signing of Jayden Bogle, calling their approach “Mickey Mouse stuff.”
“There’s genuine stuff and then the Mickey Mouse stuff that happens. We don’t play those games. We’re straight. If we make a bid for somebody, we go through the front door and deal with it that way. The job is hard enough without playing mind games, but for some characters, it does get into them.
“I think you can look at Jayden as a prime example. As soon as the interest was there, they low-balled us straight away and he was gone. I have to deal with it, and his teammates have to deal with it as well. You don’t really talk about that, you talk about someone who doesn’t want to be here.”