Reports from China appear to boost Sheffield United's hopes of keeping striker

Zivkovic, who moved to Bramall Lane in January, had been scheduled to return to the Far East when his temporary agreement expires at the end of the month.

Chris Wilder, the United manager, recently confirmed his intention to negotiate extensions to the contracts of Zivkovic and fellow loanees Dean Henderson, Mo Besic and Panos Retsos to cover the remainder of the Premier League season - which was suspended in March because of the global pandemic.

Although Wilder is confident all four will be allowed to remain in South Yorkshire until England’s top-flight schedule is completed, if the Chinese sporting media is correct, any opposition to his proposal in Changchun would effectively become pointless.

United’s coaching staff held talks with the quartet to canvass their opinions before resuming small-sided training sessions at the Steelphalt Academy last week, as the PL prepares to lift its ban on competition.

All four are understood to be happy to stay put, with both Zivkovic and Retsos subject to deals which can become permanent when the transfer window reopens.

Bayer Leverkusen, Retsos’ parent club, recently told The Star they were focused on completing the Bundesliga season rather than discussing the defender’s immediate future. But officials at Bramall Lane will have taken that as an indication the Germans do not intend to summon Retsos back to the BayArena.

Although opportunities for both Zivkovic and Retsos have been limited - the latter made his debut during February’s FA Cup win over Reading - Wilder has insisted they will be judged on performances during training and their conduct behind the scenes.

Zivkovic has yet to make an appearance, but arrived at United with a reputation for being a creative striker with explosive pace.

Previously of Ajaz and Oostende, he has represented Holland at under-21 level while Retsos is a senior Greece international.

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