Swansea have back-up signing in mind should Joe Allen bid fail
Published:
Swansea have identified Tottenham’s highly-rated Alex Pritchard as their primary midfield signing should the Welsh club fail in trying to welcome back Joe Allen to the Liberty Stadium.
The Swans have been linked with a move for Liverpool’s Allen for much of the summer, but face stiff competition from Stoke, among others.
Boss Francesco Guidolin has now targeted Pritchard as a potential alternative, with the 23-year-old reportedly told by Tottenham that he can leave this summer.
The Englishman was courted by the Swans for a loan deal in January, but chose to join West Brom instead.
However, Pritchard made only a handful of appearances under Tony Pulis, and is now looking for somewhere where he can be sure of first-team football.
The England U21 international played just 67 minutes of Premier League football last season – only five for Spurs – and is valued by transfermarkt.co.uk at just over £2.5m.
But with a contract running until 2019, Spurs are looking for a fee of around £8m and it’s believed Swansea will only go as high as £6m.
A number of Championship clubs – Newcastle, Norwich and Leeds – are also courting the midfielder, but it’s believed all three are only interested in a loan deal.
Swansea have been busy already this summer, welcoming five new players to the Liberty Stadium, including Leroy Fer from QPR and Mike van der Hoorn from Ajax.
But with so many mid-table sides spending big this summer as the new television money kicks in, it seems Guidolin is keen on a few more signings to boost Swansea’s chances.
A move for Pritchard would finally allow the midfielder a chance to show his ability in the Premier League, while for Swansea it could be the latest opportunity to turn a relative unknown into a top-tier hero, joining the likes of Allen, cult star Michu and Wilfried Bony.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
