Sheffield United: Luke Woolfenden's estimated weekly wage at Ipswich Town | OneFootball

Sheffield United are reportedly eyeing a move to sign Ipswich Town's Luke Woolfenden

The top four in the Championship all seem to be jostling for the two automatic promotion places and it now seems to be a case of who can out-do the other in the transfer market, with Sheffield United keen not to be outdone.

The Blades are reportedly eyeing up a move for Ipswich Town centre back Luke Woolfenden this month to bolster their back line with some experience after Harry Souttar was struck down with a nasty injury on Boxing Day.

Even without their towering centre-half, United have been able to keep pace with their fellow promotion chasers and are only outside the top two by virtue of goal difference, so they're still well-placed to make an instant return to the Premier League.

Woolfenden is someone who knows all about getting out of the Championship, having just done so with Ipswich Town last season, and the link was a little surprising given he's played 90 minutes in each of the Tractor Boys' last three league games.

Whether the Blades can prise a starting defender away from a top-flight club remains to be seen, but one thing they won't have to worry about is breaking their wage structure to bring him to Bramall Lane.

Luke Woolfenden is estimated to be one of Ipswich Town's lowest earners

Financially, a deal to bring Woolfenden to South Yorkshire seems viable, as it would appear that convincing him to drop back into the Championship is the biggest issue Chris Wilder faces.

After being promoted to the Premier League last season, Ipswich invested heavily over the summer and spent sizeable sums to bring in centre backs Jacob Greaves and Dara O'Shea which pushed Woolfenden down the pecking order a little.

Those two new players are certainly estimated to be earning Premier League money by Capology, who claim Greaves scoops £25k per week, while O'Shea is estimated to be on an even bigger sum of £35k per week.

Those figures dwarf the £7,500 per week that they estimated Woolfenden to be earning, and although that may seem small in the grand scheme of the Premier League, it's actually almost double what they estimate his Championship wage was the season prior.

Although most football fans will claim that £7,500 per week is still a handsome salary, which would be true, it's so small in Premier League terms, that only two senior members of the Ipswich squad are estimated to be earning less according to Capology.

Luke Woolfenden's salary would have him one of Sheffield United's lowest earners too

Such has been the financial advancement of the Championship in recent years, that those near the top have budgets so large they can rival Premier League clubs, and Sheffield United are certainly doing so.

If you were to take Woolfenden's estimated £7,500 Ipswich salary and put it into the Sheffield United squad, Capology estimate that he would still be among the lowest earners.

Only four Sheffield United players are estimated to be earning less than that, and none of the four have the type of experience Woolfenden has in the game.

It's fairly certain that Wilder is only dipping into the market for a defender because of the injury to Souttar, and he was incredibly estimated to be the Blades' highest earner, taking home £40k per week.

estimated to be among the better earners at Bramall Lane.