Swansea City manager Russell Martin has opened up about the financial situation at Swansea and declared that the club realises it has to sell one or two players every year. It probably isn’t what swans fans want to hear but the inevitable inquiries are most certainly on their way.

And once again people will start getting jittery.

We reported in December the interest in Joel Piroe by Leicester City, much to the dismay of many swans followers, and there were others who just plain couldn’t deal with it. We had the backlash, rode it out and today it is reported he has been scouted four times by the foxes. No teddy's flying around today though. The first news on Leicester’s interest we disclosed in early December. At that time Joel Piroe was actually asked by the Leicester Mercury if he knew of any interest. Anyone who knows how these things go will tell you the player is one of the last to know about these things. And as we said the other day, how would Joel Piroe know what the recruitment team at Leicester are planning ?

Our conversational editorials do bite a bit hard at times, and like this one tonight it may well come with a lot of tongue in cheek. Okay, here it is folks, in all it’s glory.

⚽️Piroe Leicester link

You would have thought fully qualified journalists would think things through before going head on in to these things. I mean what chance do ‘aspiring journalists’ have these days ? That aside we are also hearing that Flynn Downes is causing a bit of a stir at Leeds, it’s okay though, don’t worry we won’t claim that one, honest.

Now then, let’s put the fun and baiting to one side, so what do we read in to Russell Martin’s words when he said “I wouldn’t have thought they (Leeds) are the only team looking at him. As far as we’re concerned, Flynn’s just bought a house in Swansea, he loves it, his partner loves it. He’s loving what we’re doing on the pitch. Well Russell Martin didn’t mess about with those rumours, and when he went on to say “I think that counts a lot for someone like Flynn. Ultimately, we haven’t had any phone calls from anyone. If we do then we’ll have to cross that bridge when it comes to it.” That last comment should tell anyone who has any interest in the way the transfer system works that declarations of interest don’t just happen when the transfer window opens.

Are the two players that the swans boss is referring to Joel Piroe and Flynn Downes ? It could be Ben Cabango and Matt Grimes. However, he references Flynn. The question has already been asked on the Swansea Independent forum of the value of these players. Martin is obviously aware of who he wants for next season, but losing Piroe and Downes surely can’t be a part of that process ? If it is he enters in to a risky game with the fans as well as the players he chooses to replace any star player leaving the club it could easily backfire on him. There are of course other players he could be referencing, but it sounds to us like he has put Flynn Downes in the shop window tonight. An early notice of a sale to come in the summer ?

Get your bids in we will talk to you at any time, and now you know we believe we have to sell a few players every year. The manager says so. But we are not fooled either, Russell Martin is fast becoming a master at these press gatherings, he rarely discloses anything and rarely everything without a reason. Don’t think he is that green, he is an intelligent man, he knows his pathway to success at the club and is on the road to getting it done. Even his biggest critics will see that.

We are left with these words ringing in our ears tonight though -

“Hopefully Flynn is one who is with us for a long time. It gives us the best chance of getting into the league we want to be in eventually, keeping a group of players together for long enough to do it. But we know the financial situation, we probably have to sell one or two every year. But Flynn I really want to keep. If we can find a way around that we will.”

We like Russell Martin, not least for his openness, but for his honesty at times as well as his ‘tactical conversations’ Can you imagine how some swans fans are going to be half way through June when the rumours really start gathering momentum. We can’t wait, January was like watching discombobulated helicopters taking off over the Mumbles. It’s what makes this whole thing that more interesting. Not least the reactions but when things come to fruition, you have to raise a smile at times.

Nice one Russ, keep em guessing, it’s fun all the way.

Photographs licensed from Reuters

Swansea City Polls