Swansea City have reportedly hit back at Everton and Leicester City by slapping a £50m price tag on Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Local news outlet WalesOnline claim that Swansea have pushed back and won’t be bullied over negotiations surrounding Sigurdsson, and will only leave for £50m.
They also claim that Swansea have turned down a £40m bid from Leicester, which would be a record sale for the club.
The details
The claim also says that while Everton haven’t yet made a formal bid for the playmaker, Swansea are ready to make it known that they won’t let him go on the cheap.
This news comes after several reports that Everton are closing in on signing the Icelandic international for £32m.
Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins and the clubs owners have already spoken out and said that they will do everything to keep the player in South Wales.
Rumours have been circling in the past couple of days that Sigurdsson is ready to force his way out of the club, but that should be taken with a pinch of salt as the club could be trying to save face.
Is £50m ridiculous for Sigurdsson?
In the modern day of transfer fees, perhaps Swansea should be demanding this sort of money for their star player.
Everton already have spent £30m on Michael Keane, a centre-back with one year’s experience in the Premier League who also had just a year left on his contract.
If Everton are prepared to spend that kind of money for Keane, then Swansea are within their right to demand more for a player who had 22 goals and assists in the league last year and almost single-handedly kept Swansea in the top flight.
Everton are also reportedly valuing Ross Barkley at £50m, who has done less in the league and his contract is running down.
It is thought that Swansea would struggle to turn down a bid lower than £50m from a Champions League club, as the player’s head would be swayed, but despite Everton’s mass spending already this summer they still aren’t seen in the same ilk as the top six clubs.