SHAKERS' keeper Paddy Kenny will tomorrow put pen to paper on a four year contract with First Division Sheffield United.

The highly-rated Yorkshireman has been on loan with the Blades as cover for the injured Simon Tracey since August, and it comes as no surprise that a deal is to be made permanent.

Although officially an undisclosed fee, it is believed Kenny will cross the Pennines for somewhere in the region of £60,000, a far cry from the megamoney price tag bandied about in recent seasons when he attracted a host of Premiership scouts to Gigg Lane.

The deal is also thought to include a sell-on clause based on appearances that could net the club more revenue in the future.

With ex-chairman Terry Robinson now on the board at Bramall Lane and former manager Neil Warnock in the Blades hotseat, the sale is sure to be highly unpopular with Shakers fans who will view the pair as taking advantage of the club's financial plight.

But Shakers joint chairman John Smith said: "We would love to have kept him but the financial situation at the club is still tight and we needed to get the wage bill down further."

Kenny was due to return to Gigg this week but speaking at Saturday's 2-2 draw against Darlington he admitted having played his last game in a Bury shirt.

"The offer I got was too good to turn down," he said.

"It's a four year deal and is a great move for me. But I'll always have a soft spot for Bury, they gave me my first chance in league football and I'll never forget that."

Warnock and his assistant Kevin Blackwell know all about Kenny as they snapped up the 24-year-old from UniBond League Bradford Park Avenue in 1998.

He has proved an inspirational acquisition for Warnock spearheading United's climb up the Division One table and providing a solid backbone for the team with a string of impressive performances that quickly made him a firm crowd favourite.

His form saw him successfully fight off the challenge of Wilko de Vogt to keep the number one shirt, but now faces a fight for his first team place as Tracey nears full fitness following his knee problems.