Negotiations between Swansea City and Southampton were not held up ‘because’ of the wonderfully described need for some decorum as Saints manager Ruben Sells was still at St Mary’s - and to suggest it is completely wrong. It may well be that’s the Saints explanation at the end of all this but the truth is the negotiations have gone on because the Swans won’t be railroaded.

Has there been a hold up because Swansea wanted the best price for Russell Martin ?
Yes, and also the other factors involved. Those being his extra staff, Matt Gill and Dean Thornton and one other we understand. Compensation is one thing, losses and knowledge ( player targets ) inside information, future losses and Southampton’s gains as a result are very much areas the Swansea board wanted to cover. And they did. When the final draft is complete and agreed the announcements ‘should’ be made.

When will that be ?
The mainstream media continued to mention ( from around two weeks ago ) certain deadlines that came and went whilst we maintained the negotiations were drawn out for more than basic contractual reasons. This of course has been the case, otherwise the announcement would have been made by now. It really has to be this week, but how long is a piece of string when the Swansea majority ownership smell money, especially when it’s money they nearly parted with in March.

Would they have spoken about other business like Joel Piroe ?
It’s a big if. Actually it isn’t, if you were sitting down for lengthy negotiations with a club for their manager and staff would you mention the potential cost of other things of interest ? If you didn’t you would be daft, or not fit to be in those discussions. They key is what Russell Martin wants for his own summer spending spree as Southampton manager. He would have already stated what he wants to the Saints not dissimilar to what he stated when he came to Swansea. Flynn Downes being the example, we’ve been there before. If anything would have held up these discussions in to a second week then it would have been players of interest to Southampton. Russell Martin won’t just want a few staff with him, he will want certain players for two reasons. One, because he believes they will assist him on the pitch and two, because he wants influence in the dressing room when his back is turned. He will have learned that at Swansea. Obviously Ryan Manning and Joel Latibeaudiere are now free agents so it won’t include them.

What about John Eustace coming to Swansea ?
If he ever did he would be well down the pecking order and a disappointment to the Swansea majority ownership that’s for sure. They haven’t approached any of the candidates mentioned in the betting, there is a link to Nathan Jones, but that’s purely driven by Luton Chief Operating Officer Paul Watson coming to the club in whatever role it’s called at Swansea.

There is a degree of impatience amongst both sets of fans be that Swansea or Southampton, but it’s also pleasing that the Swans aren’t being taken for mugs. No matter how big a club Southampton think they are.

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Photograph with permission Swansea City SFC

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