Mason Holgate's Sheffield United transfer questioned amid Championship preference claim

Paul Merson has questioned why Everton are allowing Mason Holgate to join Sheffield United on loan. The defender looks set to cut his loan with Southampton short in order to link up with the Blades today as Chris Wilder continues to make his mark on the squad at Bramall Lane.

If completed, Holgate will become the Blades' fourth January signing, following Ben Brereton Diaz, Sam Curtis and Ivo Grbic through the door in the hope of being able to carry the club out of the relegation zone to Premier League safety. However, Merson can't see a reason why Everton have sanctioned the move to a direct rival in the battle against relegation.

The Toffees dropped back into the bottom three on Tuesday night following Luton Town's win over Brighton and they are facing an uphill battle to survive. As such, they don't need to be strengthening their competition at the bottom of the table, Merson says, despite the promise of Holgate picking up more minutes at Bramall Lane than he did at Southampton.

"It might just be a case of them having to do it, to keep settling the books," he told Sky Sports. "That's the way things are at the moment. If Sheffield United finish above Everton - let's be honest - then of course they deserve to go down.

"I don't think it looks like being a threat to them, no disrespect. If I was Mason Holgate, I would rather go to one of the top four in Championship and be in a winning team, and having a chance of going up.

"Being at Sheffield United, it'll help him become a better defender as he'll be doing it a lot more."

Holgate joined Southampton in the summer transfer window but has made just five Championship appearances for the club under Russell Martin. He'll be hoping for more opportunities in South Yorkshire as he strives to get his career back on track.