Bob Bradley insists he is confident Swansea City can fend off any January moves for Gylfi Sigurdsson, but has warned that “crazy” things can sometimes happen.
The Swans manager – who has also confirmed the club are considering another move for Tottenham’s Tom Carroll – has conceded that Sigurdsson’s impressive form in recent weeks has lifted him high up on some clubs’ most wanted list.
But after meeting this week with Swansea owners Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien, Bradley is convinced they can hold onto their influential Icelandic playmaker.
Bradley said: “Gylfi has been terrific for us. I am sure that there are many clubs that are taking notice. But from our standpoint, we consider him important as we move forward.
“We are confident he is going to still be a part of our team as we get into the second half of the season and beyond. For us to not only improve week to week, but have a little bit of a longer term vision of how we can improve and move ourselves forward, a player like Gylfi is a vital part of that vision.
“I believe that he is going to be with us. All you have to do is look around football, and sometimes crazy things happen, but there is no sense getting too deep into that conversation right now.
“On the inside of our football club, we are confident he is going to be part of our team moving forward.”
Sigurdsson scored one goal and created another as Swansea beat Sunderland 3-0 on Saturday to climb off the bottom of the Premier League table.
The Iceland international has now had a hand in 47% of Swansea’s league goals in 2016, with 14 goals and seven assists – 21 out of the team’s 45.
It is that kind of contribution that has made him of interest to other clubs, including his former employers Tottenham, whose manager Mauricio Pochettino claimed Sigurdsson would now be “perfect” for the club that sold him to the Swans for £7m in 2014.
Everton was also linked with a £25m bid for the 27-year-old in the summer before he signed a four-year contract to remain at the Liberty Stadium.
Bradley added: “He is taking more of a leadership role. We all feel very good about what he is doing for us on the field.”
Bradley is far keener to add to his midfield rather than sell and said Carroll, 24, is a target to move back to the club where he spent the 2014-15 season on loan.
“Tom is a player that everyone here knows. He is certainly a good footballer, and he is a player that has been discussed.
“Every player that appears on the table, also then gets looked at in comparison with other players, and guys bring different pluses. Tom is tactically sharp and he is a good passer, which are qualities that a team can use.
For now, though, the American is keen to add to his min-revival of six points from three matches by taking more at West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday.
“In terms of a reward for good work and the response following Tottenham (5-0), all of those things were positive. There was a good sense of satisfaction. Not only was the result good, but that’s the idea of what we are trying to be and the identity of what we can be all about as a football team.
“It doesn’t mean the work stops – that part has to continue. As much as we were frustrated and disappointed after Tottenham, it’s important to have a steady hand. All in all, it makes for a better week.
“Building on a good game and turning it into another good effort, trying to put a run together, these are very important parts of growing as a team.
“West Brom are a good solid team. You are all familiar with the work that Tony Pulis does. Tony’s teams are hard to break down, they are direct and there is a physical part of their game.
“They are impressive, just in turn of their team shape and how they go about their business every game. I thought they played pretty well against Chelsea.
“I don’t go around rating everyone’s football. His record speaks for itself. He deserves respect. If you go around the Premier League, not everyone has the same ideas on football, but also what needs to be said is that not everyone has the same players.
“One of the things a top manager understands, and I say this is about Tony, is how to get the best out of his team, and so his understanding of what his players are all about and put them on the field and get them organised in a way that gives them a chance for results.
“There are different ways to do it, but ultimately that’s what all managers are trying to do, you are trying to make sure you understand the players, you are trying to challenge them and trying to figure out the best way to play to give that group a chance to be successful.”