New Liverpool boss to work a way around Swansea contract clause
Published:A contract stipulation means that Brendan Rodgers isn’t allowed to bid for any players under contract to Swansea for 12 months, however he could still scupper their plans to make one of their loan signings permanent.
The Liverpool manager, who was confirmed as Kenny Dalglish’s replacement last week, brought Gylfi Sigurdsson in from Hoffenheim in January and he was a huge success, scoring seven goals in 17 starts from midfield.
That led to the Swans agreeing both a £6.8 million fee with his current employers and terms with the Icelandic international to secure him for the long term, but the deal hasn’t yet been confirmed.
And in a move that risks ruining the harmonious manner of his Liberty Stadium exit, Rodgers has revealed that if the transfer isn’t completed, he will attempt to find a way of bringing him to Anfield instead.
He said: “If he comes on the market I have to be interested. He knows that I rate his qualities and abilities. I have said to Huw Jenkins: ‘I’m not going to do anything untoward. This is a guy you want, but it is down to Gylfi’.
“If he comes on the market I have to be interested. He knows that I rate his qualities and abilities. I said to Huw: ‘If I speak to the kid, I’ll tell him to speak to the new manager, whoever that is’. But if he’s not comfortable with that, he’s in the market place then – and I have to look at him.”
Such a stance appears fair enough, yet by publicly expressing it, he is clearly giving Sigurdsson reason to reconsider his verbal arrangement to join Swansea, suggesting that by snubbing them, he stands to be reunited with Rodgers at a bigger club.
It may be the calibre of the Northern Irishman’s successor in Wales that determines the 22-year-old’s decision, and at present Wigan assistant boss Graeme Jones is the 6/4 favourite.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
