Sheffield United are confident the clauses to sign loan duo Panos Retsos and Richairo Zivkovic will be extended.
Retsos and Zivkovic arrived at Bramall Lane from Bayer Leverkusen and Changchun Yatai respectively during the January transfer window.
The Blades have first refusal to make either of those deals permanent before their loans expire. However, as part of the agreement, those options become null and void as of May 30.
Yet with the current Premier League season indefinitely suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Sheffield Star reports that it will be extended.
FIFA has already confirmed it will agree to extend loans that are due to expire before the 2019/20 campaign concludes. And United think Leverkusen and Changchun will do something similar.
Will Retsos and Zivkovic stay at Sheffield United?
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Retsos has played just once since arriving in South Yorkshire in January. The defender came on as a substitute during the FA Cup win over Reading.
Retsos has also made three match day squads for Premier League fixtures, but did not get off the bench in any of them.
The 21-year-old is looking to revitalise his career having struggled to make an impact at the BayArena. Retsos made the move from boyhood side Olympiacos in the summer of 2017 and has played 35 times for the Bundesliga team since.
The Greece international is versatile at the back, with the ability to play in either full-back role, as well as his preferred position of central defence.
As for Zivkovic, he is yet to make his Blades debut. This is partly due to match fitness, with the striker further behind Retsos having not played since November.
But United manager Chris Wilder says a lack of game time doesn’t necessarily mean the club won’t sign the duo permanently. This should please Zivkovic in particular, with the Dutchman revealing he wants to stay in Sheffield beyond this season.