Phil Sumbler
Paul Watson has revealed that Southampton weren’t “anywhere close” near the Swans valuation of Nathan Wood as they made a late move for him towards the end of the transfer window.
The Saints were said to have made two bids for Wood as Russell Martin tried to sign him for the second successive summer but both were rejected by the Swans and the window closed with Wood very much still a Swansea City player.
Rumours suggested around the game with Bristol City last weekend that Wood wanted out from SA1 but that is something that Sporting Director Paul Watson says is just not the case and that the name of Wood will be one of the discussions that they have planned now around new contracts with the player now in the last year of his contract.
The Swans had to watch during the summer as both Ryan Manning and Joel Latibeaudiere left on free transfers although the latter did bring in some income to the club as a reflection of his development at the club.
Steven Benda, Olivier Ntcham and Joel Piroe were also all in the last year of their contracts as they left the club and Watson says that it is an area of the club that they need to improve on – something that clearly was totally lost on his predecessors.
“It’s definitely an area we can improve,” Watson admits. “All clubs can improve – a lot of players went on frees this summer.
“When players get within 12 months, they smell the Bosman.
“All we want to try to do is protect the football club as much as possible. If that means extending players’ contracts, then we will do that.
“We are assessing the squad now, who is out of contract next summer and the summer after and where we see the vulnerabilities that we want to pick up quite early.”
With Wood in the last year of his contract the Swans will be keen to tie him into a longer contract particularly to protect the valuation that we placed on his head and certainly if we have made the decision that we want to fend off future interest from Southampton or any other club that may express an interest in him.
“He’ll be part of the conversation [about new contracts] I am sure because we will be talking about every player,” he added.
“Nathan is a young English central defender. They are sought after. There was a valuation on him that wasn’t anywhere close to being met.
“I spoke with Nathan, the same as I did to Joel, and said I would be fair and honest. We see his future here, we think he can improve here and ultimately he said ‘OK, that’s where I am, I am happy to stay and happy to play’.
“That wasn’t a protracted conversation going back and forth like Joel. That was pretty simple.”
Whatever individual thoughts are on Wood the position we want from the club is very clear – anybody that is coming to the end of their contract we need to make early decisions on what we want to do as far as their contracts are concerned and get around the table before the “smell” of those Bosmans becomes too strong!
