Andre Ayew has insisted he is happy at Swansea City and is planning a bigger impact at the Liberty Stadium next season.
Ayew scored twice as the Swans beat Liverpool 3-1 on Sunday, retaining their place in the Premier League for another year and scoring their highest tally in a game in this campaign in the process.
The Ghanaian striker has regularly been linked with other clubs since arriving in Wales last summer, but he promised: “I’m here and I’m happy. The guys have really helped me a lot in this squad.
“It’s been a difficult season. We’ve had ups and downs, but what’s important is we learn from this and prepare for the next season.
“For my first season I’m quite happy with what I’ve done. I want to do better, but when you come to a new country and a new league you have ups and downs.
“We’re safe now, we know that next season we will be in the Premier League and we wanted a few goals. It was a good performance, the best of the season, maybe. I’m relieved. To win against a big club like Liverpool at home in front of our supporters, and by three goals, is good.
“But you can always do better, we have two more games and we’ll try to get results until the end of the season.”
The fact that Ayew is referencing next season – and his own part in it – will be a relief to most Swansea supporters. The 26-year-old has been a pivotal player for the club in a difficult season and his goals have regularly underpinned vital victories.
In all, he has scored 10 goals in 32 Premier League matches, although his double against Liverpool were his first strikes since January.
But he has also been inconsistent since the turn of the year and that has led to speculation the club may be willing to cash in on a player they signed on a free transfer from Marseille last summer.
Ayew is reputedly Swansea’s highest earner, on rumoured £80,000-a-week wages, but even on those figures – £4m-a-year over the length of a four-year contract – he is still a cheaper option than buying a player of similar stature with an outright transfer fee.
His versatility means he can play out wide, through the centre, or in more of a deep-laying role, although he is clear: “I’m not a centre-forward – not at all.
“I can play on the wing and I can play in the middle. Out wide was my position at the start of the season but sometimes, when things become difficult you need to try to change it.
“I’m quite happy to score my 10th goal, but you have to continue and try to do better. We’ve had a lot of difficult games, but we’ve had a few good ones too.”
Ayew and Swansea now finish the season with a trip to West Ham on Saturday, followed by a home game against Manchester City.