Friday 23 January 2015 16:43, UK
Sheffield United have completed the signings of Paul Coutts and Kieron Freeman from Derby.
Midfielder Coutts moves to Bramall Lane for an undisclosed fee while defender Freeman arrives at the League One club on a free transfer after having the remaining 18 months of his contract with the Rams cancelled by mutual agreement. Both players are well known to Blades boss Nigel Clough, having played under him while he was in charge at Derby. Coutts joined the Rams from Preston in the summer of 2012 and made 67 appearances for the club, scoring twice. Nine of those appearances came this season after he returned to fitness following a long-term knee injury sustained in September 2013. Freeman had found first-team opportunities limited at the Championship club for the past two seasons and had loan spells with Notts County, the Blades and Mansfield. In total he made 27 appearances for Derby after making the move along the A52 from local rivals Nottingham Forest at the beginning of the 2012/13 campaign.
