Sheffield United are ahead in the race to secure the signing of Liverpool winger Ryan Kent, who will be loaned out in the January transfer window, according to journalist Alan Nixon. 

Nixon has confirmed that the youngster, who spent the first half of the season on loan at Bundesliga outfit Freiburg, will leave Anfield again in this window.

He stated that the delay is due to the time it is taking to agree the payments which are payable to Liverpool if Kent does not play at Bramall Lane - a thoroughly modern development which seems an unnecessary stumbling block.

He also revealed that other teams were in the hunt for the former Coventry City man, who has also been linked with the Blades' bitter rivals Leeds United in recent weeks.

The Verdict:

He is a player who could make the difference to a promotion push and he is keen to prove a point after his loan spell in Germany did not quite go as planned.

United operate on a tight budget though, and will be trying to get those payments down as far as they can before doing a deal.

Sheffield United fans - would you like to see the Kent deal get over the line? Let us know below...