Swansea City are eager to sign a central defender in the final weeks of the transfer window.
The Swans have already brought in five players this summer but are keen to bolster several areas of their squad before the August 31 deadline.
It's understood Russell Martin is keen to sign a ball-playing centre-back to suit the style of play he is bidding to implement in south Wales.
He already has Ryan Bennett, Kyle Naughton, Ben Cabango, Joel Latibeaudiere and Brandon Cooper at his disposal, but given his preference to play with a back three, he is bidding to add a further defensive player in the coming weeks.
It comes amid the Swans' interest in Manchester United defender Ethan Laird.
The 20-year-old played under Martin at MK Dons and appears destined to secure a loan move to south Wales soon.
Speaking at his pre-Sheffield United press conference, Martin gave a glowing assessment of Laird.
"I’d be lying if I said I wouldn't like to work with him again at some point," he said. You can read his comments in full here.
Progress on the deal is expected next week after the Swans' Championship fixture with the Blades as Swansea.com Stadium.
The Swans could yet add another striker to their squad while a swoop for a central midfielder may be explored depending on the outcome of Matt Grimes' situation at the club. The Swans still have their full quota of loan slots to use.
Elsewhere, Reading have completed the signing of Watford midfielder Tom Dele-Bashiru.
The 21-year-old joined the Royals on a season-long loan deal amid reported interest from the Swans, according to our sister title BerkshireLive.
The transfer window closes at 11pm on Tuesday, August 31.
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