Did Huw say he was for sale, or that clubs were interested?...No.
In the last few days we've had to deal with all kinds of stories resurfacing, most of which concern Arsenal and Liverpool "having to pay £30million to secure Swansea's star asset". What a load of horse...poopy.
Ok, so given the conversation Huw had with the media some speculation would be expected, but insinuating we've "told Liverpool and Arsenal how much they have to pay" (as intimated by various newspapers) is just sheer fabrication. Let's have a look at what Huw actually said when interviewed by the Daily Mail:
"We've seen with Tottenham and Gareth Bale that every player has a price. We are not in that bracket with Tottenham but they sold a top player. We are realistic about that side of things. I would say Michael was about right with his valuation of Michu [when he said he was worth around £30million] if you look at the current market, but this call-up enhances that further.
"We know we have a very talented player and naturally we want to keep him. As a club we are delighted he has got the call-up for Spain. It is fantastic that he has been included in the Spanish squad because of his performances with Swansea in the Premier League.
"It is a massive compliment and achievement for Michu and Swansea City that he has been called up by the current European and world champions. It is not an easy squad to break into, but his commitment, work-rate and level of performance since he joined us has been first class.
"He enjoyed a successful first year with us and he has continued his form into this season, which is great to see. We are looking forward to seeing him continue his success here at Swansea in the Premier League and hopefully with Spain at international level.
Huw Jenkins http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/8963237/?
Thankfully, I didn't have to actually enter the Daily Mail website to find those quotes. Phew.
Anyone who knows how the media generally operate won't be surprised he ended up talking about Michu's worth. It's highly unlikely he brought the topic up himself, and it's probable he was specifically drawn on the subject. Nevertheless, if you were a responsible media outlet why wouldn't you take this opportunity to create some speculation?
I mean, he did kind of mention a price-tag, even if he wasn't specific, however most of the articles we've seen relating to his comments have been, in my opinion, complete tosh. Why write about Michu possibly making his first appearance for Spain when you could just invent some transfer speculation? Much more longevity in those stories, I guess. I mean, it's not like Rodgers and Wenger have, as yet, failed to even mention Michu as a possible target. Oh, wait...
Huw's comments clearly show we're not interested in selling the man from Oviedo. Why would we?! The guy has excelled so far this season and looks like he may yet find another gear - if he does Premiership defences better watch out. If and when his form dictates a big-money bid arriving, we'll deal with that then, but until that time I think it'd be a lot better if everyone associated with the club avoids being drawn on potential values of our players. It only serves to fuel further media speculation which can often unsettle players liable to have their head turned by a "bigger club", and I for one am fairly sick of the press speculation that comes following any comments from someone in a position of power.
Just take a look at Roy Hodgson and Adnan Januzaj. This weekend just past, Hodgson became the first current England manager to appear on BBC's flagship football programme Match Of The Day. Presenter Gary Lineker clearly wanted to get a quote out of his guest relating to Januzaj, who'd scored twice on his debut for Manchester United and just about qualifies for England, and you could see Hodgson squirming and trying to avoid saying anything in particular. In the end, he said something like "we're aware of him and are monitoring the situation" - something he'd probably say about any player of that age who could go on to qualify for England.
What was the main headline on the BBC site the next day? Let's have a look...
 |
| http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24416142 |
The article from which this image and headline is taken actually had the headline "England keen on Januzaj" on the BBC site, which, if you'd watched MOTD, you'd know to be far from the gist of the conversation between Lineker and Hodgson. I thought Hodgson clearly didn't want to talk about the issue and was being baited for a quote. It certainly worked.
This is particularly indicative of how the press in this country work. Until they learn, or are made to talk about tactics and things which actually matter it's unlikely the status quo will change. To sum up how I feel about this issue, I'll use a quote from Napoli manager Rafael Benitez not long after taking charge of his new club:
"I have received more questions about tactics in twenty minutes here, than in one year in England"
https://twitter.com/tancredipalmeri/status/360150092990251014
Says it all really. Hopefully in time we'll see more pundits like Gary Neville and less like Jamie Redknapp.
Fingers crossed.