Latest papertalk from Ash's agent seems pretty unnecessary
It seems Ash's agent is determined to get every penny out of the Swans. I know that's his job, but did he really need to speak to the media to remind everyone that Ash can leave for free next summer? Everyone is acutely aware of that fact, and the laughable thing for me is these comments seem to have been made from the point of view of someone who thinks he's controlling things. Ash's agent, Jamie Moralee, seems to have now had a long history of dealing with the Swans, and to be honest I'm pretty sick of the sight of his name.
The first time you may have seen his name was when he scored a brace for Barry Town in their 3-2 FAW Premier Cup victory over the Swans way back when Jonny Hollins was in charge (thanks to Mark Pitman's excellent blog for flagging this up!). A journeyman striker, he'd ended up at Barry after spells at Colchester, Watford & Millwall (and he'd also go on to play for Newport County) and his double ensured Barry completed a famous victory over the Swans. These days I don't have to rely on nostalgic memories to conjure up his name, though, as he's Ash Williams' agent. And Neil Taylor's. And boy don't we know it.
Any time there's a speck of interest in either of these guys, he's all over it. I know that an agent is "always acting in the best interests of his client", but given agents make a percentage of any dealings, it's ultimately in their interest to keep speculation brewing, and to continuously renegotiate their client's contracts - using the speculation as an effective lever. I'm fed up of this, but it's part and parcel of the modern game and until there's a drastic overhaul in terms of how people are paid, and who is allowed to represent them, transfer dealings will continue to be orchestrated in this manner.
Something I think is quite telling is how this latest press release was handled. Did Moralee speak to the local press? Of course not - much better to speak directly to BBC so your comments get massive exposure, and are then regurgitated by all manner of second-rate football "news" sites. Why bother risking some objective coverage in the local press when you can create hundreds of headlines worldwide? Especially when "it's in the interest of your client"...
The danger in speaking to the local press would have been that, undoubtedly, it would have been pointed out that Moralee's main "threat" - that Ash will leave for free next summer in search of a bigger contract - is actually something the club are probably keener on than him leaving for a paltry sum this summer. That wouldn't have made for a sensationalist, transfer rumour inducing article though, would it? Much better to reference the "big clubs who can compete financially" who are circling, and to reiterate that Ash won't be short of suitors next summer. Here are his comments, for those who haven't seen them:
"Ash has only got one year left on his contract, so clubs will look at that. If a new contract is not agreed or they don't accept one of the bids. Swansea could risk losing him for nothing. Ash has to look for a contract that's right for him. He came to football relatively late and, as he's turning 30 this year, he needs a contract that can take him to 33 or 34.
"A bid has been made but nothing's been accepted or rejected yet - something has got to give. There are two or three clubs interested in Ash, and they must be confident in their ability to compete financially and be up there with Swansea in their offer for him.
"If Ash's contract does run down, it won't just be Sunderland interested. That will alert a lot of big clubs. Swansea hold the aces with Ash because they can keep him and give him a new contract, or they can sell him.
"It's not Ash's problem that a club has made a bid for him. Ash has to look for a contract that's right for him. He came to football relatively late and, as he's turning 30 this year, he needs a contract that can take him to 33 or 34."He has to look out for himself and his family - football is like any other business."
I appreciate there's nothing too controversial there, but he doesn't seem to appreciate that, to the Swans, there is no point selling him this summer. Unless the amount we receive for him is an amount which will allow us to immediately purchase a replacement (Caulker?) then there is absolutely no point selling him - no point whatsoever. If you could pay £4million to guarantee one of your centre-backs would perform as Ash has done (on average) over the last few seasons, I think there aren't many Premier League clubs who would turn down that opportunity.
As for "football is like any other business", well... yeaaaah. Kind of. It's a business like any other business, but there are so many variables which don't come into play in most companies. For example, the Swans gave Ashley Williams a chance when other clubs clearly didn't feel he was up to it, and that was in League One. While Ash's performances have undoubtedly helped us to where we are today, it's been a two-way street and he's been given the platform he needed to improve. I remember when he first signed; any time he went up for a header I had to close my eyes! Judging by how far away from the ball he normally ended up, it's not too big an ask to imagine Ash was doing something similar!
I'm not insinuating Ash owes us anything, and I'm not saying the club owe him anything, but the Swans aren't just another club. We don't look to shaft people, and generally if you contribute you'll be rewarded. While I fully understand that agents are in place to maximise their client's profit, there should also be a degree of respect for the club, especially when it's (as in Ash's case) a club who have helped nurture the player to previously uncharted heights.
I guess my point is that I don't think he should be looking to squeeze as much out of the Swans as he would out of Arsenal or Chelsea, say. If Moralee believes his client deserves the respect of the club he's negotiating with, he should reciprocate with the same level of respect. Trying to create speculation by giving soundbites to the national media is far from that.