Sheffield United ‘expecting’ interest in summer signing as Huddersfield Town suffer ‘blow’ in Portsmouth pursuit

Sheffield United could go top of the Championship with an ambitious thrashing of Coventry City on Boxing Day. The Blades would have to put five past the visitors, with Burnley not playing until Tuesday.

Paul Heckingbottom’s team have enjoyed a flawless return to action after picking up back-to-back wins over Huddersfield Town and Wigan Athletic. They sit only three points from the Clarets but will need Birmingham City to help them out if the Lancashire outfit’s exceptional form is to come to an end. Burnley have lost only one of their previous 20 league matches - with that defeat coming at Bramall Lane last month.

Ahead of a week of festive football, we take a look at some of today’s transfer headlines.

Sheff Utd ‘expecting’ interest in summer signing

Sheffield United are expecting plenty of interest in Anel Ahmedhodzic in January, according to Yorkshire Live. The defender joined the club from Malmo in the summer and has been a revelation at the back, picking up eight clean sheets and scoring four times.

The Blades will be desperate to keep hold of the Bosnia & Herzegovina international and their promotion bid could suffer if they are to lose him, though there doesn’t appear to have been any concrete interest in his services as of yet. Ahmedhodzic is unlikely to be the only player with a target on his back next month, with Iliman Ndiaye and Sander Berge also likely to attract interest. The former has been sensational this season, scoring nine goals and providing four assists.

Terriers suffer ‘blow’ in Portsmouth pursuit

Huddersfield Town look set to miss out on Portsmouth youngster Jay Mingi, according to The News. Pompey chief executive, Andy Cullen, has admitted the club are confident of tying the midfielder down to a new deal at Fratton Park. Cullen said: “We are in dialogue with Jay and his agent. That is one we would love to tie down if we can and remains an ongoing discussion.

“Jay is one who has come to the forefront this year and had some really good performances. He’s still developing and we also hold compensation rights on the basis we have offered him a contract. Discussions are ongoing, as with any contract negotiation, particularly when there’s no pressure on either side. They can sometimes become a little protracted, but I would hope we can reach a conclusion pretty soon.”

The Terriers were one of a number of Championship clubs keeping tabs on Mingi, who has made 16 appearances in the Championship this season. West Brom were also thought to be interested in the 22-year-old, with Alan Nixon claiming they had sent scouts to watch him on a weekly basis.