The latest from our favourite agent Jamie Moralee & more
Neil Taylor "could leave to get first team football"
More old news really! You could hardly blame Neil Taylor for feeling a bit left out, and this is nothing his agent hasn't said before. In fairness to Neil himself he's never said a single negative word about the club despite playing second fiddle to Ben Davies for the entire of last season, and it can't have been easy watching your younger understudy get all the minutes while you watch from the bench. Personally I think the amount of football you play at the top level should allow you to keep two left-backs happy (assuming they're both good enough to rotate into the team - which ours are), and as I've said on numerous occasions I'd be very disappointed if we couldn't guarantee him enough football for him to want to stay. His agent Jamie Moralee (him again) had this to say on his client's future:
"Neil is a player that needs to play regularly, if that could happen at Swansea it would be ideal,. None of my boys have ever been taken out of Swansea, it's a fantastic club that has made a lot of progress and that's who Neil wants to play for, but if he can't be guaranteed regular football, I can't see him sitting on the bench for another season.
"That would be a third season in that position. That's no good for any player and Neil is at his peak. Hopefully he will be given that opportunity at Swansea, but if not Neil may have to pursue other avenues to get some games.
"Swansea are fortunate in that they have two international left-backs, but Neil hasn't played enough football of late. We need to talk about things sooner rather than later."
http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Neil-Taylor-leave-Swansea-City-play-regularly/story-21246897-detail/story.html?#dwFF5ro0d2zDrEMq.99
Marvin Emnes deal close
This will make Matt Harrison (host of The Jackcast & Marvin Ennes Fan Club founder) very happy. Media in the North East first started reporting the story which has since gathered pace, and given the Monk's previous comments about Emnes (and how we may end up signing him) it's easy to believe a deal is in the offing.
In a truly outstanding bit of Swansea-style transfer wheeling, the fee is being reported at around £lmillion (£2.2million LESS than Middlesborough paid for him!), and while the fact they're letting him go on the cheap could set alarm bells ringing for that kind of money he's a bargain. I'll hold my hands up and say I wasn't that enthused when we resigned him on loan, but he's easily done enough to warrant signing for one million. Marvin, Wilf, Dwight, Leon, Wayne... our squad is going all Lock Stock!
Pulis says Joniesta is very much a Crystal Palace player
Unsurprisingly, Crystal Palace head honcho Tony Pulis has moved to quell speculation around the future of Jonny Williams. Or to point out that if anyone does want to buy him, they'll have to stump up...
"Jonny is a Crystal Palace player until deemed otherwise. He’s one player that there is always going to be speculation about that he could be going – you are never going to take that out of the game. If people want to talk about it, then they will talk about it, but Jonny comes back at the same time as the rest of the players.
“It is his responsibility to come back and do as well as he possibly can to get back in the team. He is a great lad and has got the potential – that is the word to use. He has got to fulfill that potential.”
http://hltco.org/2014/06/17/pulis-forget-speculation-jonny-williams-is-a-palace-player/
I'm still really hopeful of a deal being struck on this one. Williams' agent (Jamie Moralee - who else?) has said before that the Swans are interested in his client, though it appears no contact has been made yet. It's anyone's guess how much Crystal Pulis value him at, but I'd say if it's over seven or eight million that's ridiculous money for a player with scant top-level experience.
With rumours of interest in Jonny Williams continuing, and the Swans also linked with Man City (and ex-Swans academy youngster) Emyr Huws, we could well have a much more Welsh look to the Swansea midfield next season.
Bang tidy, that.