Sheffield United complete signing of former West Ham United and Manchester City defender

The 20-year-old has been training with the Blades and recent reports suggested he had impressed coaches while on trial.

He has now put pen to paper on a deal at Bramall Lane and will initially link up with Gary McSheffrey’s under-21s.

Baptiste had been a free agent since the end of the 2023/24 season, when he was allowed to depart Manchester City. He reportedly spent time on trial at Portsmouth in the summer but a move to Fratton Park did not materialise.

A ball-playing centre-back, Baptiste was nurtured within the famous youth system at West Ham. He was fast-tracked through the age groups, debuting for the club’s under-23s at the age of 15.

West Ham gave the defender a professional deal when he turned 17 and his senior debut came in an FA Cup win over Doncaster Rovers in January 2021.

He left West Ham for Manchester City last year, although he found it difficult to break into the senior set-up at the Etihad Stadium. While on the books at the Etihad Stadium, he spent time on loan in Belgium with Lommel.

He also has international experience on his CV, having represented England at under-16, under-17 and under-19 level.