Staying put: Sheffield United close in on retention of key defensive duo

Ethan Ebanks-Landell could be extending his stay at Bramall Lane to the summer. (Picture: Simon Bellis/Sportimage)

The pair have excelled on loan at Bramall Lane, helping the Blades to top spot in the race for promotion back to the Championship.

Such has been their impressive form, it was feared that could alert rival clubs – or prompt their parent clubs to recall them in January – but United are confident of completing deals.

They hope to extend the loan of Wolverhampton’s Ebanks-Landell until the end of the season, while a permanent deal has been agreed with Burnley for Lafferty.

“We are close with Daniel Lafferty, and Ethan,” said Blades manager Chris Wilder. “Hopefully over the next 24-48 hours those deals will be concluded.

“Both boys have expressed an interest in staying with us and I don’t want to break up what has been a successful period for the football club with those two boys in and around the team.

“We have got offers in place and are close to getting players through the door. We are quite content with where we are at.

“Danny has played all his football in the Championship. You look at his stats at Burnley and they are good; he’s been involved with promotion sides there, part of the Northern Ireland set-up, so an international player.”

Lafferty’s move will involve a nominal fee plus extras – “bits and pieces if he lands on the moon,” said Wilder.

After recalling Marc McNulty to Bramall Lane this week, the Blades boss admits he made a mistake when loaning out the forward to promotion rivals Bradford City.

The 24-year-old was allowed to join the Valley Parade club as United had a quartet of strikers in Billy Sharpe, Leon Clarke, Matt Done and Caolan Lavery.

But injuries to Clarke and Done – plus lack of fitness for Lavery – meant United were depleted in attack early in the campaign.

New FIFA rules stopping mid-season loans, meant Wilder was left rueing the decision.

“We talked about the new rules at the start of the season, and knowing what I do now, we wouldn’t have let Marc go out,” said Wilder. “But we did, and now he is back with us. This new era of rules and decisions, it’s a learning curve for us all.”