Yesterday’s newspaper reports stated that there was a £15 million price tag on Joel Piroe’s head, sending a strong message to the clubs circling around Joel Piroe that the Swans will not be beaten on price.
The accuracy of the £15 million cost is undoubtedly debatable, but the fact remains that it indicates that the Swans will not be forced into selling their greatest asset on the cheap.
We discussed last week on these pages the necessity for the Swans to be solid in their appraisal of the striker, and press reports indicate that this is very much going to be the case.
Any hope that any of the interested parties had to try and make us sell the player for less than his market value should by now have disappeared and it is good to see that the reported valuation is not at a level that would suggest we are giving in to the fact that Piroe has just a year left on his contract. £15m (or more) for Piroe seems a fair valuation and one that – if reinvested in the team – could make a real difference to Michael Duff’s summer plans.
Elsewhere the move to bring in two loan signings remains very much on track with Harrison Ashby and Carl Rushworth very much on the radar. Both are seeing their pre-season tours out with the clubs but both are, it seems, still on track to join up with the Swans ahead of the first game of the season on August 5th.
Given the regard in which they are held by their clubs both will arrive in SA1 as first team regulars meaning that Andy Fisher will drop to the bench. That in itself may not be the only issue to think on here. The length of the loan may tell us much about the long term future of Steven Benda. A season long loan will suggest that Benda is not seen as the natural first choice in SA1. A shorter loan and maybe it is possible. The whole goalkeeping situation is one to watch as this one plays out.
Beyond these two loans there has been much discussion over the past two days around Jamal Lewis. It seems very much as if Lee Buchanan remains the first choice to come into the club and the suggestion seems to be that they would only turn to Lewis if that were, for any reason, not to go ahead and even then there seems to be more stumbling blocks ahead of us as opposed to open doors!
Then you have the small matter of how we are to replace Piroe should the sale go through. It has been suggested that we already have that plan in place and ready to action with at least two possibilities lined up. Many believed that Jerry Yates was to be that person but the one thing the pre-season games have told us is that Duff seems clear on playing Yates alongside Piroe which suggests he may do the same with any replacement.
Names at the moment would be pure speculation but it is safe to say that these plans are being worked on and we are determined not to be caught cold when the expected sale goes through. Time will tell on that front.
In terms of other moves in this window, the Swans could move for a midfielder given the ongoing injury concerns on both Joe Allen and Liam Walsh although a loan deal seems more likely in this position if the injuries are thought to be clearing up. We would though be well versed to look back on more frequent injuries last term which could increase the need for a permanent option in midfield to be added.
The only known unknowns appear to be whether there will be confirmed interest in Grimes, Ntcham, Wood, or Cabango, all of whom could attract some contact this summer, but with nothing formal in place at the moment, we can only assume that Plan Bs are not out of the question if other clubs make contact.
With just over five weeks left in the window, there appears to be plenty more to happen; let’s see how accurate that is!
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