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According to reports in The Liverpool Echo, it is looking likely that Everton centre-back Phil Jagielka will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season, and Sheffield United should make a stunning move to bring him back to Bramall Lane in January.

What's the word, then?

Well, despite starting the first Premier League match of the campaign following the summer arrivals of Kurt Zouma and Yerry Mina, the Toffees captain received a first-half red card and hasn't been in the squad since.

Suspension and injuries have obviously played a part in that, but the 36-year-old failed to make the 18-man selection against Leicester City last time out and has seemingly fallen behind the likes of Michael Keane, Zouma and Mason Holgate in the pecking order – with Mina still yet to be available because of injury issues himself.

With Jagielka's deal due to run out at the end of the campaign, it appears more and more likely that he will leave then – or possibly in January if he wants to get regular minutes on the pitch.

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Why should Sheffield United move for him?

The 36-year-old may be getting on now, but he is a Blades legend and he is the sort of addition in the New Year that would boost the fans, 92% of whom have voted a star Chris Wilder bought for nothing as their most important player, and a club that are well in the race for automatic promotion to the Premier League right now given they sit atop the Championship standings.

His return would lift everyone around the club even further, and he his experience would potentially be crucial in the latter stages of the campaign in order to push the Yorkshire club over the line.

With 247 Sheffield United appearances already under his belt, Jagielka would surely jump at the chance to help his first club achieve their top flight dream.