Why failing to sign Joe Allen isn’t that bad

On Monday it was revealed that Stoke City would be signing Joe Allen for £13 million - denying Swansea the chance to.

It may be controversial to say, but I am pleased!

Not because signing Allen would have been a bad thing - far from it - but because we can put the situation out of our minds, clear our Twitter feeds and move on.

Joe Allen is a great player and knows how to play within the methods of the club, but did we really need to splash out £13 million for another midfielder?

Assume that Gylfi Sigurdsson is always a starter, when fit. Leon Britton won’t be around forever, but he has another season in him. Jack Cork is such a key player and proved it last season, while I genuinely believe that Ki Sung Yueng is one of the best in the squad, when the mood takes him (admittedly last season it didn’t take him that often).

Plus there is Leroy Fer, who we’ve spent around £5 million on - if he doesn’t start a few games that’ll be a major waste of money. I’m aware that Stoke recently offered £7 million for Ki, but I think that amount under-priced the Korean who - lest we forget - was player of the season just last year.

Joe Allen is a real homegrown talent and proved it in the Euros, but signing him was never the priority. He’d have offered a bit more depth in an already deep midfield, and - at 26 - would have been a good long-term replacement for Leon Britton.

Or would he? What if he had a cracking season next year, then Man City, Juventus or Real Madrid came in for him? Allen - no matter what romantic notion we have of him - would have packed up and left, just like he did when Liverpool came calling. Another payday for Swansea, but another heartbreaking loss.

Of course, that’s all fantasy. Indeed it would have been nice to see the local boy done good come home, but £13 million could - no, should - be better spent elsewhere. Namely on a striker.

And this is what the board now have to do to ensure they don’t damage their already shaky reputation - get a good, proven striker signed up. In fact, get two.

Not two ‘free-transfer, never-heard-of-before, bargain bin’ strikers from the lower leagues of France, but at least one renown striker who will provide a return by scoring goals and maybe one cheaper player who can support him.

Goals are what Swansea need next season. There are enough playmakers in the side and defensively the Swans look solid (especially with four goalkeepers…). But without goals it’s going to be another tough season.

So let’s put the Joe Allen thing behind us. He may not fit in at Stoke, have a season on the bench, then come back to Swansea next year at £5 million. Who knows?

Time will tell, but for now we need to trust that Huw and the new owners have made the right decision, and will open their wallets and get the striker Swansea deserve.