STEVE KABBA is on the verge of becoming Watford's fourth signing this month.

Reports emanating from Yorkshire claim that the Hornets have had a bid of around £500,000 accepted for the 25-year-old by Sheffield United and he was due to hold talks with Aidy Boothroyd and chief executive Mark Ashton at Vicarage Road yesterday (Thursday).

The Lambeth-born striker is out of favour at Bramall Lane following the arrival of Rob Hulse and then Jon Stead, and has been given permission to talk to the Hornets by Neil Warnock. Kabba has featured just eight times this season and is yet to find the back of the net.

Although Kabba is not the name most fans would have had on their wish list, the former Crystal Palace forward has scored 18 goals in 46 league starts for the Blades and his raw pace could compliment the muscular Darius Henderson.

Boothroyd has been working tirelessly to strengthen his squad this month and is still hopeful of bringing in at least one more new face before the transfer window closes on Wednesday. Reports yesterday also linked experienced midfielder Ray Parlour with a possible move after he was released by Middlesbrough.

But the Hornets boss has struggled to convince players to join a club that appears Championship-bound.

"I'll be glad when January is over but only if we have managed to get in what it is we want and maintain what it is we did on Tuesday," said the manager "It's been a real experience for me. I'm sure it's going to get worse as people are starting to panic now. Because of the amount of money that is at stake next season there seems to be all kinds of things happening. Everybody is desperate to stay in the league and we are exactly the same. l'll be careful, I'll be prudent and I won't make any daft signings. I'll make sure they are right for the club and right for the team.

"We've got a huge chunk of money which I need to use sensibly," he added. "I'm an impatient fella - it's my biggest strength and my biggest weakness. I want us to be a top ten club and we are not. In fact we are far, far away from that, but that's what we have got to strive to be. That takes time."

Boothroyd's best bet of bringing a player of Premiership quality to the club may be the second loan signing he is permitted to bring in under Premier League rules.

"We've only got one loan left so we've got to use that wisely," he said. "That may end up being the one that makes the difference and be the key card. We could leave that one right until the end."