Earlier this week we reported that Tammy Abraham was
being linked with a move to the Liberty Stadium. Several other names have been
mentioned with the Swans since, and a rumour regarding Bayern Munich defender
Holger Badstuber looks to be picking up pace.
What makes the rumour even more interesting is that the
28-year-old has worked with Paul Clement previously between June 2016 and
January 2017 at the Allianz Arena. Their working relationship only ended when
the Swans made their move for Clement.
The defender has made some 178 appearances for Bayern but
after a number of niggling injuries, Bastuber’s time at the Bundesliga giants
has very much been blighted in recent years. Still, the defender has been
capped for Germany 31-times and should he stay fit, would be an excellent
acquisition for the Swans backline.
The 28-year-old spent the last half of the 2016/17
campaign on loan to Schalke 04 and with his contract expiring next month, a
host of clubs are said to be interested in his signature. He made ten
appearances for the Bundesliga side, recording an impressive pass success
percentage of 91.2%. However, passing is the only aspect of the game that
Badstuber seems to excel at, but he is also pretty handy when it comes to
retaining possession. Should he be bound for the Liberty Stadium, he will of
course offer some excellent competition for Aflie Mawson and Federico Fernandez
who have recently cemented themselves as first-choice centre back pairing under
Clement.
Jordi Amat has been linked with a move away from South
Wales and a transfer for Badstuber may all but seal the Spaniard’s fate. Whilst
Amat was once ranked in the top ten best defenders in the world, Badstuber has
received a similar accolade in the past and was previously regarded as one of
the most talented centre backs in Europe. Should the German international have
stayed injury-free, it would certainly have been interesting to see how his
career panned out. Also capable of perating at left-back, Badstuber would
certainly offer Clement some versatility and should Martin Olsson get injured,
he could step in and do a competent job we’re sure. Former Manchester United
boss Louis van Gaal once described Badstuber as the best left-footed defender
in Germany, quite the reference.
Manchester City have been linked with a move for
Badstuber in the past, however, it’s unlikely that the 28-year-old will
interest Guardiola now.
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