Michu, the forgotten man who was once rated at £30million and loved in Wales, has burned his bridges at Swansea:
The prospect of a reconciliation between Swansea City and the employee they once loved will be formally killed off at the end of the month. That is when the Welsh club’s chairman, Huw Jenkins, will meet Michu’s representatives to talk about what happens next in the curious relationship between Swansea and a player they once rated at £30million. To an extent, the conversation will represent progress, considering communications from club to player were going unanswered as recently as the end of last month.
But there will be no marriage of convenience, with Swansea privately ruling their best remaining hope is to sell a forward who does not want to be at the club where he scored 22 goals in his first season. There will be no love lost on the side of Swansea’s hierarchy, just regret that relations with one of their most iconic signings broke down so badly. The irony is that Swansea are looking for a striker and Michu, a Spain international less than two years ago, has a season remaining on his contract, which is believed to be worth £40,000 a week. But, as a senior member of the club’s hierarchy told Sportsmail: ‘It’s extremely unlikely that there is a way back.’
Having failed to get anything out of an injury-wrecked loan to Napoli, it is hard to see where such a talent goes from here. It is harder still to see how it came to this. To think, there was a running joke at Tottenham’s training ground a couple of seasons ago whereby Pat Jennings, Tim Sherwood and other members of the coaching staff would hear news of another goal at Swansea and tell each other: 'Don’t mention Michu.' Back then, in the 2012-13 campaign, Tottenham, along with half a dozen other clubs, cringed about their decision to ignore a Spanish agent who did the rounds in pre-season. He was peddling a free-scoring Rayo Vallecano midfielder with a £3.2m release clause — a player Spurs knew about a full year earlier, in 2011, when he was available for nothing at the end of his Celta Vigo contract.
Gerry Armstrong, their former player turned Spanish pundit, had encouraged his friends at the club to make a move. By the time Tottenham and the others realised what had got away, Michu was a £2m revelation in Wales. His performances under Michael Laudrup were the key to the club winning the Capital One Cup in 2013. But while the replica of that trophy sits in the stadium reception, the key to its acquisition is nowhere to be seen - Swansea are the club that do not want to mention Michu. It boils down to a conversation last summer when the forward let it be known to manager Garry Monk and the club he wanted out. His first season had been brilliant but his six-goal second campaign was poor, dominated by injuries to his right ankle and bad moods. Monk made the call to let him go and, such was his way in those early days of management, rang Brendan Rodgers, who agreed it was the right course of action.
Team-mates had initially referred to Michu as ‘the student’, the friendly boy with the backpack and messy hair that never carried any product. 'He just put some water on it and would go out,' Michel Vorm said in 2013. 'He’s very relaxed as a person.' After signing he said his ambition was to go to Scotland to find the Loch Ness Monster. He also told Sportsmail his intention was to one day complete the business degree he started in Spain before football took over. 'A very nice boy,' as Laudrup said. His general demeanour around the club changed dramatically during his second season. One prominent source at Swansea talks of the forward yelling at a member of the club’s communications team in response to a simple request during that 2013-14 season.
It was not uncommon on Europa League trips to see him standing apart from the group. There were personal issues that played a part and on the pitch it was noted by several at the club when he tore into Rory Donnelly, a young striker making his first senior start in a Europa League fixture in Romania. After surgery on his right ankle in December 2013 he returned in March but by then Laudrup had been sacked. Michu’s relationship with Laudrup, who signed him, was close. There were never issues with Monk, but while it is maintained by the club that Laudrup’s exit did not lead to Michu’s decision to leave, it is telling that his first discussions with Napoli are believed to have taken place in Swansea roughly two weeks after Laudrup’s departure, when the sides met in the Europa League. Read more:
Sources at the club claim Michu was firm in his desire to leave that summer. Monk decided not to stand in the way, but the Napoli move was awful. He needed more surgery on his right ankle and started only three games all season. He scored no goals and one recent poll in Italy listed him as the biggest flop of the Serie A season. A permanent move to Naples will not happen. Swansea defender Jordi Amat says Michu would be 'up' for a return to Wales, but Monk is clear in his desire to have players who 'want to be here.' When asked by Sportsmail if Swansea would welcome Michu back, Jenkins would only say: 'We just want to see him back to fitness and enjoying his football again.' It remains to be seen where that will be. Captain Ashley Williams told said: 'He is a friend of mine. He is such a good player and popular within the squad and we would be buzzing if he did come back. 'But I don’t know how he and the club feel about it all.' The feeling is that the bridge has been burned.
