Swansea wanted Ki back

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MICHAEL Laudrup has admitted Ki Sung-Yueng would have been “perfect” for Swansea City — but they didn’t want him back until it was too late.

Laudrup looked into the possibility of recalling Ki from his season-long loan spell at Sunderland after discovering that Jose Canas will be out for a month with an ankle ligament injury.

But any thoughts of bringing Ki back to Wales became irrelevant when Swansea realised they had missed their opportunity to do so.

Huw Jenkins told the Post earlier this week that Swansea had until January 31 to recall Ki if they wished.

It turns out he was wrong.

On checking the small print, Swansea realised they could only have brought Ki back this month had they given Sunderland seven days’ notice before the end of December.

It is hard to understand how Swansea allowed such a clause to be inserted when they agreed to let Ki join Sunderland last summer.

When asked about it yesterday, Laudrup’s face suggested he was bemused.

“I looked into it,” said the Swansea manager. “I was thinking because of the circumstances with Canas that Ki is a player we know and is doing well.

“He would have been perfect if Sunderland had lost semi-final to Manchester United.

“I said before that I would not bring him back. That was not because he was not doing well, but about the mental part of bringing back a player who is playing regularly and has the chance to play in a cup final.

“Things changed when we got the injury to Canas, but the loan agreement said we could not (recall KI).

“The agreement said it should have been done by the end of December, so it’s not a possibility.

“The only way we can change that is if Ki and both clubs all agree to end the loan, but of course Sunderland are not going to do that.

“I was disappointed, but I did not make the loan agreement.”

Maybe next time they send a player on loan, Swansea may take more care over the terms of the deal.

For now, they must plan ahead without Ki — and that means they may move for a midfielder as well as a forward before the January window closes.

“We are looking into that position because of the injury of Canas,” Laudrup added.

“But it’s a difficult position because if players are playing somewhere else, their clubs say they cannot go. Finding players who are not playing is not easy.”

Laudrup was reluctant to talk transfers yesterday, the Dane refusing to comment on Tom Ince amid suggestions the Blackpool winger may be on his way to Monaco.

When pressed on whether Swansea are close to bringing in any fresh faces, Laudrup added: “The club are working hard, but these things are very difficult.

“Let’s say we want a player. There might be four or five clubs interested, so the club want to know how much we will pay.

“Then the agent says ‘Swansea? Maybe, but we will see next week’.

“It only gets worse as you get closer to January 31, which is like a television show.

“A couple of other clubs have done some business. Hull have done very well to sign two (Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long). They have spent a lot of money, and I don’t think we’re going to do that.

“If we are looking at a loan deal, but they are not easy. I have to admit, it’s not easy.

“I would be very happy if we’d got one or even two players in on January 1. I would have had the players for another month, which makes a hell of a difference.

“But it’s not a perfect world, and every day we get closer to the deadline, it gets even harder.”



Read more: http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Swansea-City-8217-s-Michael-Laudrup-getti

 

Not a chance, hope they don't get offended when a bid goes in to keep him full time.

 

"When asked about it yesterday, Laudrup’s face suggested he was bemused."



And people are always saying what a well run club Swansea are ...........

 

shows we are on the ball for the small print in contracts

 

This, such a relief we've retained him, was squeeky bum time for a while there

 

Perhaps you should let the Swansea supporters in on the secret.

They started a 'should we recall Ki' poll after the deadline had already ended

 

So why was Gus Poyet so nervous the other day waiting by the phone to see if Swansea got in touch lol. Dont think he knew the small print either but then again he wasnt at the club then..

 

So glad we kept hold of Ki, we are a very different team without him

 

See, this sort of thing was de Fanti's job as I understand it? Everyone keeps blaming him for the "poor signings" but that is angeloni's role? All he did was negotiate the contracts which, by the sounds of it, he did bloody well?

 

We must make a decent bid for Ki and for Borini at the end of the season.

We let our 2 best players go last summer (Sess and Rose) and the year before (Gyan and Welbeck).

Its a lesson that must be learned, Even if they cost us 15m to get both its a must and will be much cheaper than making the mistake of signing 4 or 5 unknown quantities and hoping they come good. Both are young so will have a sell on value in the future too.

 

I've said the whole time they had a small slot to recall him at the front end of the transfer window. Unlucky.