Cooper unsure over striker swoop... but is still keen on Viktor
SWANSEA City boss Steve Cooper admits he’s ‘not sure’ the club will bring a new striker on board before the close of the summer transfer window, but admits he’s still interested in Brighton and Hove Albion striker Viktor Gyokeres.
A striker has been at the top of Cooper’s wishlist for most of the summer, but the club have so far not managed to find a meaningful breakthrough.
And, when asked whether he thought a new striker would be on board before the close of the window, Cooper replied: “I am not sure to be honest.
“You can seem close to doing things and yet they can be so far apart. There are so many factors that need to be aligned to get a deal done.
“There are certainly some players we would like to sign and can do from our end. It just needs to be aligned with what the player in question wants to do and the club they are with, whether that be a loan or permanent.
“Are we close to doing things? Close and far away are probably the same.”
Cooper has made little secret of his desire to add more firepower to his ranks before the close of the window, and his longing for a striker is clearly shared by the Jack Army, with fans understandably desperate to see new faces through the door to boost the Swans’ promotion ambitions.
“Every situation on every player is different,” Cooper added. “Sometimes it can be financial, sometimes it can be football, sometimes it can be something else. It’s just about aligning everything.
“It’s no secret that we are not going to be buying our way to a positive league position. If we are going to get there, we have to do it with some loans and some young players and trying to play a certain way.
“But at the same time, if there is scope to do things then we would like to do it. The message for the supporters is that we will always strive to be the best we can be.”
Brighton striker Gyokeres remains a target for Cooper, although it seems the ball is now in their court over a potential move.
“He is certainly a player that we like, but he is being used frequently at Brighton at the moment for the cup games.
“If there comes a time where Brighton are happy for him to go on loan, which I think they might have said publicly I am not too sure, and they think we would be a good option, then it would be something we would like to do.
“But whether that’s going to be the case or not I am not too sure yet.”
Cooper has also played down the significance of Brighton’s exit in the Carabao Cup at the hands of Manchester United on Wednesday night – a game the Swede started.
Asked if the 3-0 defeat would potentially boost hopes of a move, Cooper said: “Maybe, maybe not. It’s
Brighton’s prerogative what they do, like all clubs with their players. It’s up to the parent clubs to decide on any player what their next move is, whether it’s away from the club.”
Swansea take on Millwall at the Liberty Stadium this weekend, with both sides aiming to continue their unbeaten start to the season.
Previewing his own side’s preparations for Saturday’s clash, Lions boss Gary Rowett has suggested that striker Troy Parrott turned down the Swans to complete a move to the Den.
Parrott is unlikely to be fit for the trip to South Wales, but the episode is clearly already water under the bridge for Cooper, who insists he’d rather focus on the team in front of him.
“There’s young players we like and young players we’ve been offered, but whether we’ve been offered any player that’s not here is irrelevant.
“We’re focused on the players here and getting the best out of them and making sure they can deliver performances week-in, week-out for us.”