Swansea need summer striker as Michu prefers return to deeper role

There is little doubting that Michu was perhaps the best signing of the past season and he is hoping that Swansea can make another inspired delve into the transfer market this summer to ease some of the scoring burden from his shoulders.

Michu began the season in his favoured position just off the striker and there were big murmurings that his partnership with Danny Graham had every chance of developing into something majestic.

The pair scored five times between them in the opening three games of the campaign, but Graham was eventually shipped off to Sunderland after managing only three Premier League goals by New Year’s Day.

With Michu still a regular scorer, he was eventually pushed into the lone striker role and he ended the season with an impressive 22 goals in all competitions.

The £2m capture from Rayo Vallecano has targeted 20 goals again in the next campaign, but is expecting to have some of the scoring burden taken off his shoulders.

Although happy to continue leading the line for the good of the team, Michu is also hopeful of a return to his preferred position and a number of strikers have already been linked with the Liberty Stadium of late.

Unsurprisingly, the majority come from La Liga given manager Michael Laudrup’s knowledge of Spain and the ability to get better value for money.

Celta Vigo’s Iago Aspas and Sevilla pair Alvaro Negredo and Manu del Moral have been among the more frequently mentioned, while Swansea have additionally joined West Brom and West Ham reportedly in the hunt for Romelu Lukaku.

More than one of these forwards can be expected too, as not only were Swansea already light on firepower, but Itay Shechter’s loan spell has ended and he has returned to Kaiserslautern.

Meanwhile, Swansea’s Europa League campaign will put additional pressure on the squad.

A new striker could carry Swansea to the next level and it is 80/1 that they break into the top four next season.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publication