Nathan Wood returns to Swansea this afternoon after featuring in a 3-0 away victory for England Under 21 at the Stade Parc des Sports Oberkorn in Luxembourg. Wood was booked and subbed in the second half but nearly scored for his country in an easy victory.

Wood returning to the Swans isn’t news, but what is will be the fact he will be greeted with the offer of a new contract at Swansea City. The club want to increase his time at the club by another three years taking his contract up to 2027. Wood’s personal advisor is already aware of the offer which will most certainly elevate the player to one of the highest earners at the club.

With club Captain Matt Grimes already signed and sealed on the biggest deal he has ever signed at Swansea the expectation is Wood will at least sit down and talk to the Swans. The main issue is the interest in him from Russell Martin at Southampton, the Saints tabled two bids for the player before deadline day. Both bids were turned down in what Sporting Director, Paul Watson described as ‘way below the clubs valuation’ of Wood.

The other issue will be Russell Martin’s telephone conversations that he admitted recently he makes to keep in contact with players he has managed and played with. Wood’s athleticism is one factor as to his value as a top rated Championship centre back. The other is his fast upward trajectory since joining the Swans from Middlesbrough last summer for a nominal fee. That form is yet to be repeated consistently this season but his qualities are there for all to see.

To fend off any further interest from Southampton in January the Swans expect to want an answer to their new contract offer from Wood and his advisors before the next international break in three weeks. We have been told Wood is very much aware of this new contract offer but is still keen to talk to Southampton as well. When he signed for the Swans on a two year deal last summer Russell Martin was somewhat perplexed that the club would only stretch to a two year deal. Yes, there’s a one year option, but that’s yet to be taken up. That could well now backfire on the Swans. The whole player trading model somewhat cast aside in what some would say was a lack of faith in Martin that was gradually increasing after a lack lustre first season in charge of team affairs.

Whatever the decision making last summer it’s this summer that has seen Ryan Manning ( now a Southampton player ) and Joel Latibeaudiere ( Coventry City ) leave for nothing after turning down contracts. The fact of the matter is Nathan Wood has already had his head turned, and no doubt his mobile phone will leap in to action again as the year progresses. That’s the rub for Paul Watson and that’s the real issue. Can the Swans offer Nathan Wood a solid future at Swansea, or is the lure of more money at Southampton and the potential of being a premier league player come next season the bigger pull ?

On the face of it this is a no brainer, and you wouldn’t blame Nathan Wood for taking on a big signing on fee and lucrative contract away from Swansea come the end of the season. That would be another player the Swans have let slip through their fingers. It really does bring the ‘player trading model’ in to question, if indeed that is really a thing.

It’s time for concise and timely management of the personnel out of contract at the Swans, but then we have been saying that for the last year at least.

Photograph licensed from Reuters

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