Scottish Premiership side Ross County are currently pursuing a deal for Sheffield United shot-stopper Jake Eastwood, as per a Patreon report from Alan Nixon.
Simon Moore's departure at the end of the 2020/21 campaign and Aaron Ramsdale's move to Arsenal last summer potentially looked set to provide the 25-year-old with a pathway to the Blades' first team.
However, with Robin Olsen being brought in and Wes Foderingham and Michael Verrips remaining with the club last year, his senior opportunities at Bramall Lane looked to be very limited again and he spent short spells at Portsmouth and Rochdale during 2021/22.
Olsen and Verrips may have departed since then - but Paul Heckingbottom's side moved to recruit Stoke City goalkeeper Adam Davies in a £250,000 deal during the winter window and because of this, he could be made available for another temporary spell.
He is likely to get far more senior opportunities north of the border, with Ross County boss Malky Mackay wanting him on a loan deal as he searches for a new first-choice shot-stopper at the Global Energy Stadium.
According to Nixon, they expect to get this deal over the line if an agreement can be struck between the two sides, though it's currently unclear whether the South Yorkshire outfit will sanction this move.
The Verdict:
It feels as though the player's stance will determine whether this move materialises or not - because if he wants to be playing football every week - he would be well served making the temporary move north of the border.
He could even potentially push for a permanent move because that would secure him regular game time for the long term, though he may not have given up on a potential dream to be the Blades' first-choice shot-stopper one day.
Making a temporary move to put him in the shop window for the future would be a decent option for the shot-stopper and he may even earn himself a good, permanent EFL move in time for the 2023/24 campaign if he can impress under Mackay.
If he's open to remaining at Bramall Lane though, he could be a reasonably cheap third-choice stopper for Heckingbottom to use and this is why it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see him stay put.
However, for the sake of the player's career, they may give him the opportunity to thrive elsewhere once more. Getting to spend the whole season somewhere would be beneficial for the keeper's development.