Gomis may get a Liberty lifeline after starring on Marseille loan
their approach will be. They’re playing against a rival at the bottom end of the table. So all you can do is look at what’s happened recently and be ready for not just one thing, but some other situations - whether they press, whether they sit off, whether they go 4-5-1 or go with two strikers.
“These are all things that the players have to be ready and things that we’re speaking about.
“We know Alvaro Negredo is a key focal point for them – both in direct play and when the ball goes wide with crosses into the box to a player with a lot of experience.
“He’s played at a high level in Spain and also here with Manchester City. They also have Rudy Gestede, he’s a similar kind of target man. They’re dangerous in the air.”
Swansea welcome back Kyle Naughton and Martin Olsson, while Ki Sung-yueng, Jefferson Montero and Kristoffer Nordfeldt were the last three Swansea players to return from international duty and all are likely to be on the bench.
Central defender Daniel Ayala will return to the Middlesbrough squad, while Uruguay striker Cristian Stuani is avialable. PAUL Clement has suggested he could be prepared to hand Bafetimbi Gomis a Liberty Stadium lifeline this summer, but insists no decision over the striker’s future has yet been made.
Gomis, 31, has been on loan at Marseille this season and has been in impressive form, with his tally of 17 goals in 26 appearances for the Ligue 1 club.
That is as many as he managed in his first two full seasons at Swansea and there are suggestions Marseille – who have been paying all of the French international’s £70,000 a week wages – are keen to make the deal permanent.
There is no option to buy as part of the loan agreement, but the latest reports from France claim Rudi Garcia’s men are keen to start discussions, while there is also interest from clubs in China and the Middle East.
Given Fernando Llorente has been the only out-and-out striker to provide a regular source of goals for Swansea, Gomis’ strike-rate has not gone unnoticed by supporters as record signing Borja Baston has struggled.
Clement has seen the former Lyon man close up from his own time in France working with Carlo Ancelotti at PSG and was impressed with his abilities.
And the 45-year-old would not rule out casting his eye over Gomis – who has just over a year remaining on his Swansea contract – during pre-season to give him the opportunity to show he can still have a future in SA1.
“Of course there is a chance of him coming back and having a chance in pre-season, he’s our player,” said Clement.
“He’s a good player as well. I remember him at Lyon when I was at PSG. But, it’s a situation we will look at at the end of the season.
“There is no point in even looking at it or thinking about making a call on that now.”
Monitoring the performance of Gomis and Swansea City’s other squad members currently out on loan is part of the remit of Alan Curtis in his Loan Player Manager role.
Club legend Curtis took on the position after he was left out of Clement’s first-team coaching squad, and the Swans boss believes the former striker’s work is already benefitting him and his staff.
“Alan and I meet and talk regularly,” he said.
“I have so much going on in this role it’s difficult to keep tabs on what is going on elsewhere with our players.
“So, Alan nicely summarises that and it’s been a very useful addition to our staff.”