Hamburg turns Papadopoulos loan into permanent stay

Hamburger SV completed the permanent signing of Kyriakos Papadopoulos on Wednesday after the Greek defender impressed on loan last season.

Papadopoulos failed to win a regular place at RB Leipzig in the first half of the 2016-17 campaign, so moved on a separate loan to Hamburg where he helped tighten up the defence and secure another term of top-flight football.

The 25-year-old joins from Bayer Leverkusen on a three-year contract.

"Everyone saw how much of a push Papa gave the entire team in the second half of the season," Hamburg sports director Jens Todt told the club website, with translation from Reuters.

"He motivated the other players with his winning mentality and passion."

Papadopoulos was highly regarded when he emerged from the Olympiacos academy in 2007 and went on to win two league titles and two Greek Cups with the club. His sole major honour in Germany is the DFB-Pokal won in the 2010-11 season with FC Schalke 04.