Former West Ham United talent once likened to Rio Ferdinand set to join Sheffield United
Former West Ham United talent Jamal Baptiste is set to join Sheffield United on a free transfer after he left Manchester City at the end of last season, according to the Mirror.
The 20-year-old spent time at Portsmouth before joining the Blades on trial and will sign for Chris Wilder’s team after impressing them.
Several teams in the Championship were interested in the centre-back in the recent transfer window, but it’s Sheffield United who have got a deal over the line for him.
West Ham missed a gem in Jamal Baptiste
Baptiste joined the West Ham academy at a young age and progressed through the youth ranks, making his debut for the first team on 23 January 2021 against Doncaster in a 4-0 FA Cup victory.
Subsequently, the 20-year-old got his first start for the Hammers in the Europa League on 12 September in a 1-0 defeat against Dinamo Zagreb.
Such was the youngster’s reputation at the club that former Irons striker Carlton Cole likened him to Rio Ferdinand on Inside Irons [7 July 2020].
“He’s definitely a massive prospect. He’s going to be the next Anton Ferdinand or the next Rio.”
But things turned out differently for Baptiste at the Irons, unfortunately, and he did not feature for the first team, barring the two appearances.
In 2023, the young defender opted to leave West Ham and joined Manchester City.
But one could argue that decision backfired since the centre-back didn’t spend much time in Pep Guardiola’s team.
The 20-year-old is now about to join Sheffield United, and hopefully, he can make a name for himself there.
At the Hammers, chasing superstar signings has become a norm in recent years, and for a club that produced legends like Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Ferdinand and Mark Noble, it’s a shame that they aren’t giving more youngsters an opportunity.
In other West Ham news, Dan Bardell believes the club would sign this manager over Julen Lopetegui if they were given a chance.
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