Bolton Wanderers have completed the signing of defender Lean Bryan from Sheffield United on a loan deal until the end of the season, the League One club have confirmed.

A graduate of Manchester City's academy, Bryan never made an appearance for the Premier League champions before leaving to join the Blades in the summer of 2018, and has since gone onto make just four appearances during his time at Bramall Lane.

Bryan does however have plenty of past Football League experience from loan spells with Bury and Oldham Athletic, something he will now look to put to good use to help Bolton pull off an unlikely great escape from League One relegation this season.

Keith Hill's side remain rooted to the foot of the third tier standings following their 12-point deduction for entering administration at the start of the season, and are currently 20 points adrift of safety.

Following confirmation of Bryan's arrival, Wanderers have now made six signings this season. Striker Muhammadu Faal and midfielder George Thomasson have both joined on permanent deals, while Ethan Hamilton, Toto Nsiala and Brandon Fleming have joined on loan from Manchester United, Ipswich and Hull respectively.

Bolton are next in action on Saturday afternoon when they host fellow strugglers Tranmere Rovers, a game in which Bryan could make his debut for his new temporary club.

The Verdict

This could be a useful signing for Bolton.

They do need to add numbers to their side while they have the chance, and Bryan looks to be a decent option with which to do that.

The level of club certainly suggests that he has potential which Bolton can benefit from, while his past experience at Football League level could be just as useful with the difficult situation in which Bolton find themselves.

Having been stuck on the sidelines for so long at Bramall Lane, Bryan himself will surely be keen to prove a point in the next few months, which could work in Bolton's favour as well.