Millwall have joined the chase for Chiedozie Ogbene as have other clubs in the championship now they see an opportunity to get a player in January who most certainly will add value to their squads. Plus we hear the clubs ownership are again playing games to get cheaper deals for players Russell Martin wants to come in.
Ian Mitchelmore at Wales on Line confirmed this morning, as we reported as well that the continual gamesmanship for the want of another word is affecting Swansea City’s progress in the transfer market. Numerous deals by all accounts are being missed or lost as a result, and it seems the clubs who deal with Swansea are getting used to it. Despite the negotiations side of things falling to Julian Winter in the main he clearly hasn’t got the overall power to confirm or agree final terms without a phone call to the USA.
And that’s clearly where the goalposts are moved.
This is making the work of Josh Marsh as head of football operations frustrating and challenging to the extent whereby no major signing has been made since his arrival in June last year. All the club seems capable of doing at the moment is selling players or loaning them out. Permanent signings seem to be a part of the transfer game that the Americans don’t understand and seem happy to protect their money ( mostly earned from savings and sales ) in the hope a freebie or bargain will appear.
To that end Ogbene is as likely now to go anywhere but Swansea this month. Russell Martin appears to have confirmed this when he said on Saturday. "We're probably further away from doing something than we were. That's where it is really." This isn’t good enough, money has been generated for player transfers and the swans are closing in on the play offs, but this cannot go on. It’s jeopardising any hope of a decent season. Now the real issue is out there it’s time to point the finger at the owners of this club. Do as you agreed to do and stop pulling out of deals or making them so difficult they cannot be completed. The same was done last January with Matt O’Riley and he was lost as well.
It’s time for action not bargain basement non entities and risky second string loans.