Championship outfit Sheffield United are set to lose out to Scottish Premiership club Rangers in the race for former Derby County winger Tom Lawrence, according to Yorkshire Live.

The same outlet have reported that the 28-year-old was previously keen on a move to Bramall Lane following the expiration of his contract at Pride Park, with the Welshman never likely to put pen to paper on a new deal in the East Midlands.

And they looked to have gained an advantage in this race to recruit him with the Express and Star reporting that West Bromwich Albion were not in the race for him despite being heavily linked to the winger.

However, they were always going to face a bitter tussle for his signature with Lawrence recording 11 goals and five assists in 38 league appearances for the Rams last term, an impressive total considering how inexperienced his first-team squad was during the 2021/22 campaign as they fell into administration.

It has now been revealed that the 28-year-old has told Heckingbottom he won't be arriving in South Yorkshire despite being made a firm contract offer by the Blades.

As per this same Yorkshire Live report, he is set to link up with the Gers instead with a bigger pay packet seemingly on offer as well as a chance to play European football with Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side after seeing them reach the Europa League final towards the latter stages of 2021/22.

The Verdict:

You can't exactly blame Lawrence because playing European football could go on to enhance his game further, even if the standard of the Scottish Premiership isn't anywhere near the same as the English Premier League.

The fact the Gers reached the Europa League final just goes to show the quality of players they have at their disposal and if Lawrence can assert himself as a regular starter, he could attract interest from elsewhere in the coming years.

You do feel as though the Welshman could hit his ceiling north of the border in the next couple of years though and this is why it's unclear whether a move to Ibrox would be a long-term one for the 28-year-old.

The Blades, on the other hand, will be one of the favourites for promotion during the 2022/23 season and this is why he may have been better served moving there with a bigger chance of plying his trade in the English top flight in the future.

He may have already played at that level for Manchester United and Leicester City - but he hasn't made the impact he would have wanted to and this is why he should be desperate to get back there in the coming years.