Is Gylfi really worth £50m? Stats suggest if anyone is, then it’s Sigurdsson
SWANSEA City are still waiting for Everton to come up with the £50m they say Gylfi Sigurdsson will cost if the Toffees want to take their star man this summer.
And they’ve made it clear there’s no danger of them losing their nerve as they stand firm on the recordbreaking value of the 27-year-old despite last week’s shock move from Sigurdsson to pull out of the club’s pre-season tour to America.
The Iceland international featured in the second-half of his side’s 1-0 defeat to League Two outfit Barnet at The Hive Stadium last Wednesday, but stunned the Swansea hierarchy less than 12 hours later as he informed them that he was not in the right frame of mind to travel across the Atlantic following the speculation over his future.
With three years left on his current deal with Swansea City, Sigurdsson has been left to train at the club’s Fairwood base while the rest of Paul Clement’s squad gear up for the new season in the States, with the club’s hierarchy insisting they will not be bullied into selling their prized asset for a single penny below their asking price.
And, while some have questioned whether Swansea are justified in holding out for a package that would be the joint-second highest deal between two British clubs, the price tag placed on Sigurdsson’s head is now seen as the norm in the Premier League, with Manchester United signing Romelu Lukaku £75m from Everton while Man City signed defender Kyle Walker from Tottenham for £45m. So exactly why are Swansea right to demand so much cash for their Icelandic talisman?
Let’s look at the stats... Lukaku finished as the Premier League’s second top scorer last term with 25 goals, three fewer than Harry Kane who claimed the Golden Boot.
And the Toffees’ next best scorer in the league was Ross Barkley who bulged the net on just five occasions.
So it’s clear to see why Ronald Koeman has been so eager to delve into the transfer market in search of a goalscorer in the summer transfer window so far, with the Dutchman taking Wayne Rooney back to Goodison Park as well as securing the services of Spaniard Sandro Ramirez and compatriot Davy Klaassen.
Sigurdsson’s tally of nine league goals and 10 in all competitions for Swansea last season will be exactly what Koeman is looking for, with the Everton boss stating earlier this month he wants a number of players to chip in with double figures rather than relying on one man to deliver the goods.
And when you look at Sigurdsson’s goalscoring record over the last three seasons, it proves what a good acquisition he’d be for Koeman, in terms a goal-scoring midfielder.
Sigurdsson has netted 27 league goals in the last three seasons, a tally only bettered by Tottenham and England man Dele Alli who has managed 28. Goals - last three seasons (Premier League midfielders) Dele Alli - 28 Gylfi Sigurdsson - 27 Riyad Mahrez - 27 Philippe Coutinho - 26 Christian Eriksen - 24 Yaya Toure - 21 The Swans were heavily reliant on Spaniard Fernando Llorente in front of goal last season, and the 32-year-old certainly produced the goods as he netted 15 times in the Premier League in his debut campaign at the Liberty.
A lot of the Spanish striker’s success came as a result of Sigurdsson’s creativity.
The Iceland man registered 13 assists in the league last term, with only Man City’s Kevin de Bruyne and Tottenham man Christian Eriksen managing more. And once again, the stats from the last three seasons prove the 2016/17 campaign wasn’t just a one-off for Sigurdsson. Assists - last three seasons (Premier League midfielders) Cesc Fabregas - 37 Mesut Ozil - 33 Christian Eriksen - 30 Kevin de Bruyne - 27 Gylfi Sigurdsson - 26 David Silva - 25 As we’ve already discovered, Sigurdsson can put the ball in the net AND he can lay it on a plate for his team-mates to do the same.
So when you combine the two assets, Sigurdsson’s stats make for great reading for the Swansea faithful.
The 50-cap international has been involved in 53 Premier League goals in