Why the Swans are for Gylfi – whatever
GYLFI Sigurdsson is not worth £50m. But only in the sense that it’s hard to comprehend that anyone made of flesh and bone is worth that kind of money.
Instead, this is football – Premier League football – and all such rules go out the window.
As a result, Swansea City and their American owners have every right to set the price they did yesterday on their star man’s head.
And as much as it angered Everton fans, so Swansea supporters should welcome the tough stance taken and what it means – even if Sigurdsson still ends up on Merseyside by the end of the summer window.
Evertonians flooded social media in response to yesterday’s statement of intent from Swansea, seemingly irate at the audacity being shown by a side who fought relegation until the dying embers of last season, or simply believing the Iceland ace was overpriced.
Take £30-odd million and be grateful, seemed to be the general gist... Sigurdsson’s not worth it.
Whether Everton boss Ronald Koeman, billionaire backer Farhad Moshiri and long-time Sigurdsson suitor, director of football Steve Walsh, agree will play it out in the coming days and weeks. Time to put your money where your mouth is, Toffees.
But given, one, the context of this window and, two, the influence of Sigurdsson, then no-one should be as shocked or surprised as they seem to want to be over that eye-watering fee, or Swansea’s justified stubbornness over it all.
On the first point, Everton themselves have made a rod for their own back by valuing their own Ross Barkley at a similar amount. Yes, he is younger, but only has a year left on his contract.
Then there is Riyad Mahrez of Leicester, another side who want Sigurdsson but are being left frustrated by Swansea’s stance. You can argue whether Mahrez may be a better player on the basis of his titlewinning season, but you cannot argue that he was in better form last term or is capable of the same consistent influence as Sigurdsson.
It goes on. Tottenham’s Eric Dier is apparently valued at £60m by Manchester United, Virgil van Dijk around the same by his club Southampton. Both are good, good players of top-four standard, but both are defenders or defensively-minded rather than the historically, naturally more expensive attacking assets.
In short, if Everton were prepared to pay as much as £30m for a goalkeeper in Jordan Pickford, how does that tally with offering the same kind of money to sign one of the leadingassist makers in the top-flight?
Because then there is the second point. Sigurdsson’s worth is underlined with cold, hard, statistics that ultimately show he will improve your side. Only two other players – Kevin de Bruyne and Christian Eriksen – brought more goals and assists to their teams last year, and none from the bottom-half of the table where Sigurdsson spent a season fighting the drop.
His scoring rate from free-kicks is unmatched, as is the conversion rate from his set-piece deliveries. He is always, always involved in a game. He is not a player to sell on the ‘cheap’.
Hence Swansea’s stance, hence the growing irritation at the Liberty and from majority shareholders Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien that an attempt to snatch Sigurdsson short of his value us being conducted via media and whispers.
There are strong suggestions the 28-year-old’s head has been turned by Everton after their summer business; the wages on offer could also be a factor, but don’t be fooled into thinking he’s not on very good money already.
But there have been no bids and not an inkling of getting serious on it all – which is why there was a message that Swansea won’t be pushed around in all this, that any deal will be on their terms.
Terms which happen to come with a fee of £50m.
In truth, like with Everton and Romelu Lukaku’s move to Manchester United, it might happen for a little less than £50m when add-ons and the like come into play.
But the message is the same, which is welcome for Swansea.
There are those who question what difference there has been at the club since last summer’s takeover, but there is genuine hope that this is evidence of some of the shift.
There are those at the club who are adamant that, upon receiving similar interest in January, Swansea would have handed over Sigurdsson in the winter if not for the new financial protection of the majority shareholders.
There are those adamant at the club that it is no longer a necessity to sell a top player to fund an increase in wages through the squad, as has been an understandable case throughout Swansea’s top-flight time.
Indeed, in the here and now and by rejecting Leicester’s £40m advance, Swansea have already gone past the previous markers of a price being too good to turn down.
Together with the almost unSwansea-like capture of Roque Mesa, it bodes well – even if Sigurdsson goes.
They have fought for top price for players in the past, but have either had to relent to clauses or a few million extra in the knowledge that the money is ultimately needed. Perhaps it hasn’t changed all that much, but the bar has been raised and – if they stick to it – Swansea will be stronger for it.
At the very least, in stating their demands and warning off silly games around this potential deal, Swansea will have earned both more – and fair – money for their prized asset, they will have given themselves time to get their ducks in a row for a replacement or two, and they will have given a message that top players do not come any cheaper just