The Sheffield Star have reported that Southend United midfielder Ryan Leonard has turned down a new deal at the Essex club. 

According to the report, the news is set to be welcomed by recently promoted Sheffield United, who have a strong interest in the player, and saw a bid of £500,000 turned down by the League 1 outfit.

The Southend Echo reported that the midfield man has withdrawn his official transfer request to leave Roots Hall, but has rejected the offer of a four-year deal, because of his desire to make a move to the second tier, more than likely with Chris Wilder's Blades.

That same report stated that Shrimpers chairman Ron Martin has outlined that Leonard is not for sale and that he expects the midfielder to see out the final year of that contract at Southend United.

However, Leonard was left out of Southend's pre-season fixture against Braintree Town on Saturday, and his manager Phil Brown has admitted that the transfer speculation has affected the 25-year-old's mental state.

Since making his Roots Hall debut in 2011, Leonard has made 203 appearances for the Essex outfit, finding the back of the net on 16 occasions, including on a visit to Bramall Lane during a 2-2 draw in November 2015.

At the end of last season, Leonard became only the third man in the club's history to win the Player of the Year award on three separate occasions, which serves to underline just how important he is to Phil Brown's side, and why they are so reluctant to see him leave.

Sheffield United fans - what do you make of the latest developments? Southend fans - should you keep Leonard at all costs or cash in on him while you can? Let us know in the comments below...