Laudrup: "Is Pozuelo left-footed or right-footed? We don't know yet!"

Swansea manager admits that Spanish youngster's technique is on another level to any other player in the squad

So far this season, I'd argue our two most impressive signings were both made from Real Betis. Stand up and be counted, Jose Antonio Canas & Alejandro Pozuelo. The former has proved to be as astute a signing as he is hirsute a man, putting in tireless performance after tireless performance as he beds in the Swansea squad seamlessly, while the latter has had slightly less time to impose himself.

Restricted to substitute appearances in the league, he's had to make do with starts in the League Cup and Europa League as he bids to showcase his skills, and from what we've seen so far there's reason to be positive we've signed an absolute gem. For a paltry £500k(rumoured) in compensation, we've signed a player who had been once linked with Manchester United & Barcelona (read a profile I put together a few months ago here: LINK), and despite seeming to lose his way at Betis it looks like he's set on taking British football by storm.

He announced himself immediately, scoring on his debut against Malmo with a really tasty strike - thanks to Youtube we can go all multimedia and relive it here - it's the fourth goal (at 2min 23secs) but I love watching Michu's opener - damn that boy is cool.

From what we've seen so far Pozuelo looks a very accomplished footballer indeed. His ability to create has caused havoc when he's been subbed on late in matches, and I look forward to seeing what he can do once he's completely bedded in to the squad - despite operating in an almost exclusively attacking role whenever he's featured he's got a pass completion rate of 87.8% - to me that seems very very high for a player who has blatantly been looking to create every time he's received the ball.

In his five PL sub appearances, he's played three "key balls" which led to opportunities for teammates, and in the Europa League he's already got two assists to add to that goal he got against Malmo, as well as getting another goal against Petrolul. Something else worth mentioning is he's registered as having made 1.4 tackles per appearance in the Premier League - not bad considering he's averaged just twenty-four minutes per showing and it's actually more than Michu's made so far (1.2), so perhaps he puts in more of a shift than I'd realised.

Personally, Pozuelo is the one signing of the summer I'm really excited about. I bloody love Jose Canas, and I think Wilfried Bony will score, as an Australian would say, "heaps" of goals, but the level of technique the man now simply known as "Alex" has shown he possesses is something akin to having Lee Trundle back at the Liberty. "All aboard the showboat", as it were.

Michael Laudrup clearly agrees we've acquired a real talent in Pozuelo:

"I think Alejandro can do here what Coutinho has done at Liverpool. I remember when Coutinho arrived. He came from Inter and he had a lot to learn, but now he is one of the most important players at Liverpool. 

"With time, Pozuelo can do the same here because he has the same ability with the ball. He can find space, he is good one-on-one and has two good feet — we don't know if he is right-footed or left-footed. He also has very good vision. 

"He has a lot of talent. He's a player that you can see is still young, but he has so much quality with two feet. We have to bring him forward and that's what we will do. He still has to learn a lot of things, but he is getting better and better when we don't have the ball.

"He's not that tall, but he's quite strong. He needs to learn to use his body better, but with a player like that who is only 22, we have to bring him forward slowly. Then he will be another very important player for us." 

Read more: http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/story-19873683-detail/story.html?#ixzz2gYIVvwQB 

With the Swans in Europa League action tomorrow night against Swiss side St Gallen, it's likely he'll once again get a chance to impress as the Swans go in search of a victory which would go a long way in securing progression to the next round of the competition. 

Alejandro Pozuelo 7/1 first goalscorer, you say...

Swansea rumoured to be closing in on Alejandro Pozuelo

As previously mentioned (here), the Swans are being linked with a move for Alejandro Pozuelo, a creative player who can operate either as an attacking midfielder or in the hole behind the striker. As I found out the last time I dug around online for information, it appears he's a little bit of a hot-head, and he's actually leaving Real Betis under a bit of a cloud after a contractual wrangle. Betis claimed that the amount of appearances he'd made this term automatically triggered a one-year extension to his present deal, however after a bit of back and fore it was decided that if a potential suitor was willing to pay a compensation fee (rumoured to be in the region of £450k) then the young Spanish striker would be allowed to leave.

It seems that Betis' are run very similar to the Swans if this quote from one of their directors is to be believed. He was speaking just over a week ago in regards to the possibility of Pozuelo moving on:

 “The player has no  interest in playing for Betis and  will not play, therefore. These type of  players will not be required at  this club. I’ve said many times  that players play where they  want to be” .

Hopefully he wants to play for the Swans! Why do I think he's a bit temperamental? After coming through the ranks at Betis, he made waves in the reserve "B" team, scoring 16 goals in one season and drawing attention from Manchester United and Barcelona, before making his debut for the first team in October 2011. Tipped for a bright future, he was making steady progress before an incident which seems to have gone a long way in damaging his relationship with Los Vertiblancos. Apparently, he came on as a sub with his team in the ascendancy, before being at fault for a crucial goal which ultimately led to the game finishing in a draw. That on it's own isn't so bad, but he's rumoured to have stormed into the changing room after the match criticising his team-mates. Quite inadvisable, especially if you're a youngster trying to force your way into the first-team.

Pozuelo. Or, as I like to call him, Chachi.

How's he fared when he has played? This year he's started four games and made a further seven appearances from the bench, scoring one goal and not managing any assists. To be honest, reports that I've read seem to state that after the aforementioned clash in the dressing room, he was banished to the B team, and when you consider that the previous season he started ten games (plus another eight as a sub) it does seem to indicate he'd fallen out of favour.

Statistically, he holds up fairly well despite the limited game-time he's enjoyed this season. He completed 82.8% of his passes, and despite most of his appearances being of the "token 20 minutes" variety he managed an average of 18.5 passes per game. He also managed 1.2 long balls, and 0.7 key passes per appearance, so it seems he's got an eye for a pass, but he only managed 0.7 shots per game (registering 7 in total all season), so he definitely can't be labelled a lethal finisher. Still only 21, there's plenty of time for him to rediscover the spark which once saw a £5million price-tag placed on his head, and he'll likely be viewing a move to SA1 as a fresh start. At half a million the Swans could be picking up a real bargain. Again.

Whoscored.com have his strengths as "passing & through balls", but his weaknesses make for funnier reading. In red, at the top of the list, is discipline, before aerial duels, finishing, and defensive contribution all make an appearance in a slightly less worrying orange - everyone loves a hot head, right?

This is the kind of transfer we should always be in the market for. He's young, likely to be hungry to succeed in one of the big European leagues and more importantly, it's essentially a free transfer given the ludicrous state of today's transfer market. The one worry I do have is that the Swansea squad is very tight-knit, and it'd be a shame to bring a player in who'd threaten the harmony in the dressing room. It's more than possible, however, that he'll mature into a very fine player indeed, and I for one wouldn't mind him doing that at Swansea.

Jazz looking forward to Playoff Final, Shaun MacDonald on winning promotion from League One & the latest transfer target to emerge in the press

Current and ex-Swan hoping Crystal Palace gain promotion to Premiership

This is, of course, the Championship playoff final, to be played out this afternoon between Crystal Palace and Watford. Ian Holloway is looking to guide Palace past Gianfranco Zola's Watford team in what will no doubt be a frenetic display of committed football. Crystal Palace will sadly be unable to call on a man who is starting to become somewhat of a Playoff legend - Stephen Dobbie. The Scottish attacker is ineligible due to being on loan from one-time playoff rivals Brighton. Remarkably, he's played in three consecutive Championship Playoff Finals - winning two before losing to West Ham with Blackpool last year, and he'll be disappointed he can't add to his four goals at Wembley. With both teams favouring attack to defence we could be in for a great game.

Jazz started out well at Palace, enjoying a good run of form which was no doubt aided by the fact that regular right-back Joel Ward was out injured. Once Ward returned to fitness, it was only a matter of time before he reclaimed his first team berth from Richards and of late Jazz has had to watch from the bench as his team-mates have put together a six-game unbeaten run which has led to the Championship showpiece in London. He's spoken to the Swans official site about what it's like to be involved in such a big game at Wembley:

“I was part of the squad when we got to the Play-Off final two years ago and to have been part of winning that game – for my hometown club – was a dream come true,” said the Wales international. Even though I didn’t get off the bench, just being involved in the warm-ups and looking up at the 80,000 or so in the stadium was a memory that will live with me forever. It’s a really special occasion.  

“It’s a mad day, too. You are trying to be as focused as possible, while the manager is trying to keep the tension and emotions under control, but as soon as you turn the corner and head into the stadium, you get this rush of adrenaline and it hits you – this is for a spot in the Premier League.  

Jazz in action for Crystal Palace

“It was massive for us at Swansea when we beat Reading. The club hadn’t been in the Premier League before and it was new territory for us, but it means just as much to everyone here at Palace. The club should be in the Premier League, and we are just one game away from it., and when I look around at the squad, we have a great mix of players.  

"The gaffer can call on the experience of Mile Jedinak, Damian Delaney, Danny Gabbidon, Peter Ramage and Kevin Phillips while we have youngsters like Wilf Zaha, Yannick Bolasie and Jonny Williams who can spice the game up and express themselves on a pitch like Wembley.  

“It’s going to be a fantastic match for the neutral, and I hope everyone back in Swansea will be rooting for Palace today because it’s a fantastic club. I’ve had a great time at Palace. I’m very grateful to the club for the opportunity they have given me. I’ve been away from home for the first time, played with a different group of players, and I’ve got 11 games under my belt so far. “I got a regular run of games under my belt, then I found myself out of the team -but I’ve still learned from that, and those experiences will help me progress as a footballer, but hopefully I will finish my loan spell with a win. To help Palace to the Premier League would be a great achievement for me.”  Jazz Richards

It was recently announced that Stephen Dobbie is joining Palace on a permanent basis once the transfer window opens. Good luck to him at his new club, but more importantly good luck to both Jazz and Palace today as they look to secure a win in a match worth, apparently, £120million. Remarkable that when we went up just two seasons ago it was worth "only" £90million. Football is bonkers. On to another ex-Swan who has gained promotion then...

Shaun MacDonald helps AFC Bournemouth gain promotion to Championship

Swansea youth product MacDonald came through the ranks and was highly rated as a youngster. Alan Curtis revealed a few years ago that the young midfielder had earned the nickname "Zidane" in training, due to his excellent close control and ball retention in possession based exercises. Sadly, it never really worked out for Shaun during his time in South Wales - fourty first team appearances (with a large proportion coming off the bench) and five loan spells at Yeovil later he joined Bournemouth for around £80k (although the Swans have a large sell-on clause in place) and happily things have worked out a little better on the south coast. 

MacDonald in action for AFC Bournemouth

At first it must have all seemed a bit familiar for Shaun, as he saw two managers depart in quick succession before Eddie Howe was brought in, but times are better now and the midfielder was rewarded with a new three year contract in January. MacDonald, once capped by Wales, has helped his team to the unlikeliest of promotions this year - and they came within a whisker of winning the League One title - being held 0-0 at Andy Robinson's Tranmere Rovers on the final day of the season. That was enough for Brian Flynn's Doncaster Rovers to snatch the top spot (although it wasn't enough to keep Flynn in the job), but Bournemouth had, up until that point, been on a club record run of eight consecutive league wins, so it seems they came good at just the right time. 

MacDonald is clearly enjoying his time at Bournemouth, and sees no reason why the team can't push on:

'I don`t think any other club suited me the way it did the first day I came here. I look back and have no regrets. We got promoted, we have a special manager and a special team and it`s worked out well. I feel now that coming to Bournemouth was the best decision of my career so far. 

"I am gutted that Cardiff got promoted, Not only are they Swansea`s rivals but now there are no Welsh teams for us to play against in the Championship. Getting to the Premier League is now the next step for us to look forward to, so then I can face them. 

"Being successful in the Championship is the goal and if we carry on like we did this season, there is no reason why we won`t be." Shaun MacDonald

Assuming Bournemouth retain their Championship status for at least one year, and that Cardiff don't make a load of clever signings, he may not have that long to wait to play against the team from the capital.

Swansea linked with Alejandro Pozuelo, in what is starting to look like a raid on Real Betis

This is, as yet, an unsubstantiated rumour however it's a bit of an exciting one. Pozuelo is a creative attacking midfielder, and as seems to be the norm for Real Betis players he has excellent hair. There's scant information online, but it seems a number of clubs have been keeping tabs on a player who excelled for Real Betis B before his promotion to the first team in October 2011. It seems his progress has been somewhat stunted by an incident following a game against Espanyol a year later, where Pozuelo came in to the changing room after the game mouthing off regarding negative team tactics costing Betis the game (source: LINK). Apparently he was at fault for a crucial goal, so his outburst was possibly a little misguided, but it shows he's passionate and if there's one thing you can't say about the Swans this year it's "that we played with negative tactics". 

Meanwhile, Jose Canas has, through his agent, refuted allegations that he's been taking it easy since agreeing a move to the Swans. 

“Jose has done very well this season, even though he is leaving. He wanted the club to receive money for him but that was not possible.  

"Jose has given Real Betis everything but maybe the fans don’t understand that.” Canas' agent Alvaro Torres

I'd say given the amount of talk regarding this particular transfer, and these latest quotes from his agent, it seems Canas is now surely a done deal. Hopefully there'll be an official announcement soon, but until then we will just have to sit patiently in anticipation of imminent transfer dealings.

If anyone would like to read a profile of Jose Canas which I put together a while back (nb: the stats will no longer be up to date), click here.