BURNLEY today agreed a club record £1.75million fee with Sheffield United for star striker Ade Akinbiyi.

The Clarets striker was dramatically pulled out of the club's training trip to southern Europe at the 11th hour after the two Championship clubs struck a deal that I understand will smash the outgoing transfer record at Turf Moor for the THIRD time in a year.

Instead, Akinbiyi was waiting for the go-ahead to travel over the Pennines to discuss terms with the Blades, who finally look to have landed their number one target after a frantic day of negotiations.

A third bid was rejected by Burnley yesterday afternoon, before United returned with a fourth, improved offer late into the night.

And chairman Barry Kilby today confirmed the club had agreed to sell Akinbiyi on the proviso that their verbal offer was swiftly followed up in writing this morning.

The deal represents a whopping £1.15million profit on the former Stoke City striker, whose 14 goals have quickly turned him into a cult hero at Turf Moor.

He was given a rapturous reception last weekend in what appears to have been his last Turf Moor appearance - receiving the PFA Fans' Player of the Month award for November after almost single-handedly shooting the Clarets into play-off contention.

However, the timing of his departure could hardly have been worse for manager Steve Cotterill, who now faces a desperate dash to replace his leading goalscorer before the transfer window slams shut until next summer.

All permanent deals for Football League clubs must be finalised by midnight on January 31, after which only emergency loan deals are possible.

And as the deadline grows ever closer, so the options open to the Burnley manager diminish.

A large percentage of Akinbiyi's fee must surely be made available instantly to Cotterill, who has now earned the club around £6m in just 18 months from outgoing transfers and thrilling cup runs.

A year ago, Burnley's outgoing transfer record was smashed twice in a matter of weeks, with Robbie Blake making the £1.25m switch to Birmingham and then Richard Chaplow following to West Bromwich Albion on deadline day for £1.5m.

The Turf Moor coffers were also filled by last season's lucrative FA Cup and Carling Cup clashes with Premiership sides Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers, which brought in well over £1m.