Swans close in on deal for City starlet
SWANSEA City are closing in on a move for Manchester City starlet Joel Latibeaudiere.
Sources have told the Evening Post that Swansea are close to agreeing a deal for the centre-back, who worked with boss Steve Cooper when they were part of the England Under-17s set-up.
That strong relationship is believed to have counted heavily in the Swans’ favour, placing them ahead of several other clubs, with Championship rivals Bournemouth Norwich City, Reading and Luton Town all mentioned as potential suitors.
The prospect of a move to SA1 and a reunion with Cooper is believed to be appealing to the 20-year-old, although the possibility of a deal had initially been played down by club insiders.
But it appears he is very much on the radar at the Liberty Stadium and sources close the player claim a move is now ‘very likely’ to materialise.
It’s understood the move is likely to be a permanent transfer, with City willing to let the player, who has one year left on his current deal, leave for nothing.
There have been suggestions that the Premier League giants would insist on inserting a sell-on clause, although it’s not clear if that is still the case.
Should it become a reality, the move is not expected to have any effect on Joe Rodon’s future at the Liberty Stadium, with the defender attracting interest from several Premier League clubs – chiefly Tottenham – ahead of Friday’s deadline.
Cooper is believed to be keen on strengthening his centre-back options regardless of Rodon’s future, although his efforts to bring another reinforcement on board are surely likely to intensify should Rodon depart for the top flight.
It has been a busy summer window for Swansea, with Jamal Lowe, Korey Smith, Morgan Gibbs-white and Viktor Gyokeres all arriving at the Liberty, while Freddie Woodman and Marc Guehi have returned for second loan spells.