Sheffield United are closing in on a deal for Bayer Leverkusen defender Panagiotis Retsos, according to reports in the English media. The Greek international was signed by the Bundesliga club for £15.75m two and a half years ago but a number of injuries have hampered him from being a first-team regular.

The Blades are said to have held discussions with Leverkusen about a loan deal until the end of the season for the centre-back, with the Yorkshire club reportedly prepared to pay a £600k loan fee to seal the move.

Retsos has also played as a right-back and a left-back in his career which makes him a perfect fit for Chris Wilder‘s 3-5-2 system.

Mobility is crucial in the players who play in the back three, with them being required to overlap with the wingbacks at times.

This season, Retsos has only managed three league appearances, which all came last month, and he has had to settle for a place on the bench for the majority of the campaign so far. The Greek defender may well be keen to get more first-team football away from Leverkusen.