Burnley boss Brian Laws is ready to smash the club's wage ceiling to sign Sheffield United defender Matthew Kilgallon.

The Mirror says Laws is offering a record £1.5million-a-year-contract to Kilgallon - and is willing to shatter the club's pay ceiling to land the defender.

Laws has been given permission to offer personal terms that would make the Sheffield United centre half his best-paid player - on DOUBLE what anyone else is on at Turf Moor.

Kilgallon has been cleared to speak about the move by the Blades, who fear he is holding out to sign for Everton in a free transfer next summer.

Burnley hope to talk Kilgallon into the transfer and the size of the contract is giving them a chance, despite an initial knock-back by the defender and his agent.

Everton are watching developments closely as David Moyes has a vacancy after moving out Lucas Neill, but the Goodison club would rather take Kilgallon for nothing - or make a low bid at the end of this window.