Sheffield United: List of Reda Khadra replacements submitted as boss waits for green light

The Germany under-21 international returned to his parent club Brighton and Hove Albion yesterday before, as The Star predicted last week, being immediately dispatched to Birmingham City where he will spend the rest of the season on loan.

Despite the player’s difficulties in South Yorkshire, Heckingbottom has insisted he would only sanction Khadra’s departure if he received permission from the board of directors to sign a replacement. With negotiations regarding a potential change of ownership placing even further pressure on his budget, the 45-year-old and his recruitment experts are already thought to have presented a list of potential acquisitions to United’s hierarchy, although circumstances mean they have been forced to focus on temporary rather than permanent deals.

Although Heckingbottom has vowed to be “flexible” in his search, it is understood he would prefer to capture a striker with experience of Championship football given the injuries which have blighted United’s frontline. Joint-leading scorer Oli McBurnie is a doubt for this weekend’s visit to Stoke City, after missing the last four games because of an ankle complaint while Rhian Brewster is recovering from a hamstring issue. That leaves Billy Sharp, who turns 37 next month, as the only tried and tested centre-forward at Heckingbottom’s disposal although Da niel Jebbison impressed during the recent FA Cup victory over Millwall . Jebbison’s fellow teenager Will Osula has been recalled from Derby County but United are aware that, if he features for them before the window closes, the youngster would be unable to represent another club on a temporary basis until next season.

United, who are second in the table and nine points clear of third ahead of their meeting with City, elected to sever their ties with Khadra when it became apparent neither they nor were likely to trigger the option to purchase clause written into the agreement which brought him north.

Despite impressing during a similar spell with Blackburn Rovers last term, Khadra made only five starts for United and informed Heckingbottom of his wish to move on over Christmas.