SHEFFIELD Eagles stalwart Mitch Stringer has left the struggling Championship club - but it is unclear if York City Knights will be among the likely group of clubs looking to net his services.

The Press revealed last week that Stringer, whose future at Sheffield was in doubt after he was stripped of the captaincy last month amid an apparent fall-out with boss Mark Aston, was attracting the Knights' attention, only for the League One high-fliers to be put off by the fee the Eagles were demanding.

The player and South Yorkshire club have now seemingly come to a severance package that makes the 32-year-old a free agent - and therefore a much cheaper proposition.

However, it is unclear if Stringer's wage demands may still price the Knights out of the market, and there will almost certainly be rival clubs, not least in the Championship, chasing the services of a man who played more than 300 times for the Eagles and helped them to back-to-back second-tier titles in 2012 and 2013.

Knights head coach James Ford is known to be a big admirer of the prop forward but has recently brought in seven new players - Ross Divorty (Halifax), Andy Smith (unattached) and loanees Harry Tyson-Wilson (Hull), Jordan Crowther (Wakefield), Tommy Saxton (Halifax), Sam Smeaton (Halifax) and Andy Robinson (Halifax).

Adding to that tally would almost certainly mean showing others the door, and Ford is wary of disaffecting the team spirit in the camp that has helped the side to joint-second in League One.

When asked if the Knights were keen on Stringer, Ford would not be drawn. He said: "I've brought a few players in and I'm really happy with what we've got.

"At the moment I've got a very good forward pack. Having too many players can be counter-productive and kill the environment and I think the balance at the moment is just right.

"I'm really happy with the quality throughout the squad."

Sheffield announced Stringer's departure only in a tweet, saying: "Mitch Stringer has left the club with immediate effect. The club will make no further statement at this time."