Swansea plan £5m Andros Townsend swoop after winger takes off at QPR

16 April 2013

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/swansea-plan-5m-andros-townsend-swoop-after-winger-takes-off-at-qpr-8574548.html

Andros Townsend has become a transfer target for Swansea thanks to his strong performances on loan at Queens Park Rangers in the second half of the season.

The Tottenham winger has caught the eye for QPR since moving on a temporary basis last January, even though the club are likely to drop into the Championship at the end of the campaign, and will return to White Hart Lane with his reputation enhanced.

Swansea have been monitoring the situation closely and Standard Sport understands they are considering a £5million summer offer for Townsend, who is not among the top earners at Spurs and is under contract until the end of 2016. The highest earner at Swansea is thought to be the Spanish forward Michu, who signed a new contract worth a basic £30,000 per week earlier in the campaign.

Townsend has made nine appearances under Harry Redknapp, who knew the player from his time as Tottenham manager, and has scored two goals. The spell at Rangers is Townsend’s ninth loan stint since he signed a professional deal at Spurs but the first at a club in the Premier League.

The Swans’ tactics allowed wide players to flourish when they were promoted to the top division under Brendan Rodgers in 2011, and wingers have continued to enjoy life under Rodgers’s successor, Michael Laudrup. The Dane favours a 4-2-3-1 system, with plenty of attacking freedom granted to the wide men.

After Scott Sinclair earned a move to Manchester City last summer, Nathan Dyer, Wayne Routledge and Pablo Hernandez have been influential performers at the Liberty Stadium.

Swansea believe Townsend, who is left-footed but can play on either flank, would have similar success if he moved to south Wales.

West Brom also showed an interest in Townsend a year ago but at the time there were doubts about the winger’s ability to perform in the Premier League, in which he made his debut only last September. The 21-year-old did not start his first game in the competition until he moved to QPR. It is thought Townsend would prefer to stay at Spurs but he will seek assurances about the club’s plans for him when he goes back at the end of the season. Townsend is thought to be highly regarded by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy but has yet to have a sustained run in the first team.

He has made 18 appearances since making his debut against Charlton in the FA Cup in January 2011. Townsend may consider his options if he is not satisfied that he would play regularly next season. There are parallels with Steven Caulker, another England Under-21 international, who proved himself in the top flight during a loan spell at Swansea last season.

Caulker returned to Spurs last summer and was given his chance by head coach Andre Villas-Boas. The centre-back has made 27 first-team appearances this year, gaining full England honours, and is the leading light of a generation of home-grown players also featuring Townsend and 20-year-old midfielder Tom Carroll. Spurs do not want to lose Townsend but if they see no clear route to the first team for him, they might decide to cash in on a player whose stock has risen.

In an interview with Standard Sport in February, shortly after joining QPR, Townsend said: “It’s hard at Tottenham because you have to compete with players from across Europe. We know how tough it’s going to be but we’ve all been given chances. It’s up to us to take them.

“[The move to QPR] is my big chance to show what I can do. Andre Villas-Boas has told me that he doesn’t want to sell me and that I’m in his plans for the future.”

“He called me on deadline day to wish me luck at QPR, which was encouraging. I’m confident I can eventually break into the Tottenham team.”

 

Fcuking hell. We really and truly went down the wrong road.

 

We should sell that huge ManU star and Multi Medal Winner and Champion, top top player Mr Park to Norwich for £5 million, and bid £6 M for Townsend.

 

Exactly, it just shows what scouting and not having Hughes as manager can do.

Townsend is exactly the type of player we should be signing, not clapped out has beens.

 

unfortunately Townsend will be playing in the premiership next season, we will be left with overpaid players and players that are not good enough for the premiership

 

but paid like CL players.

 

We might of got Townsend if we were still in the prem

 

Big up to Swansea AND Norwich. They got it all right and we did the other thing. Great shame for us. Just goes to show the part a solid infrastructure plays in club development.

 

Townsend will stay in the EPL and anyone who gets him will be lucky. He'd fit right in with Swansea team but there may be some bigger fish after him.

 

Good player, deserves to go to a club where he will thrive.

He'll stay at Spurs, Bale will be bribed out soon.

 

The Voice of Reason This entirely

 

Townsend will have three choices at the end of his loan deal.

1. Go back to Spurs and wait for his chance.
2. Go to a Swansea type club in the Premier League.
3. Drop down to the Championship with us. He knows the club now and knows he is guaranteed a place.

I can't see him coming down to the Championship with us when there will be other Premier clubs like Swansea sniffing around. His reputation at his parent club will be enhanced based on his performances for us but will that be enough to guarantee him a place in the Spurs starting 11? I think the offer of £5m from Swansea will be too much for Spurs to refuse for a player they considered not good enough a few months ago. So, I can see him going to Swansea.

PS Brix - Big up Swansea, fair enough. They are safe, have won a cup and will be playing in the Europa League next year. Norwich however are a different story. They could be following us down to the Championship next year. Yes, they have been more astute than us financially but if they end up in the Championship I am sure their fans will be the first to complain that they should have spent more in order to try and survive.

 

interesting comments, can ML work his magic and get him for 3m or on loan

 

How depressing is that?!

 

Still got it a lot righter than we did though Fing. Sounds a bit perverse I know but I'd rather be relegated with Norwich's record than ours atm...

 

£6? Spurs may not need him currently but I think they may want at least a tenner.

 

If we both go down, we both got it wrong. That's my thinking.

 

Fair enough. Can't argue with that.

 

Good point, thanks. Just increased the bid !

 

Gossip on the Fulham fans website, is that Martin Jol has him on his short list.
Sum of 5/6mil being bandied about,with the player stating he would prefer to stay in London .