PLAYMAKER FERRIE TARGETS SWANS RETURN

By Gareth Vincent
South Wales Evening Post

Ferrie Bodde is working through the summer in a bid to be fit for the opening day of the new season.

And the Dutch midfield ace is confident he will be ready to go when the Championship starts up again in August.

Bodde has not played since rupturing a cruciate ligament last November.

And though the complex nature of the injury means he is not guaranteed to be ready for the big kick-off, Swansea City's playmaker is in confident mood.

"The knee is getting better all the time," Bodde said.

"But the hard work isn't over for me. I've got a month to keep working to get my fitness back and be ready for the start of pre-season.

"I'm looking forward to it already. Everyone else has gone off to the beach, but I've got the next few weeks to get myself ready for pre-season and I hope by that time I can be up to the same level as the rest of the lads.

"That's the plan, but we'll only find out when I get there.

"Richie Evans (Swans physio) think I will be back and so do I - I think I will definitely be back when the season starts."

SWANS BOSS MARTINEZ HAS MULTI-MILLION POUND DREAM

By Gareth Vincent
South Wales Evening Post

Roberto Martinez hopes one day to land Swansea City's first £4million player — but concedes a move for James McCarthy is "impossible" now.

Martinez has had his first say on wild stories which emerged in Scotland claiming Swansea were ready to pay £4m for Hamilton wonderkid McCarthy.

In truth the 18-year-old is likely to leave Hamilton for a fraction of that price — but Swansea still won't be able to afford him.

"It would be fantastic if we could pay £4m for a player," Martinez said through a smile, "and I hope one day we will be able to put bids like that in.

"But right now James McCarthy would be an impossible task for us financially.

"He is someone we like, obviously.

"He has great potential and technically he is a Swansea City player.

"But when you look at his valuation at the moment, it is impossible for us to go out and compete at that level."

BODDE WISHES FOR GOMEZ LINK-UP ON RETURN

By Chris Wathan
Western Mail

Ferrie Bodde has outlined his desire to renew his Liberty link-up with Swansea City loan star Jordi Gomez.

Gomez's future is still up in the air with Roberto Martinez recently admitting the cultured Catalan is on his way out of Espanyol.

And with Middlesbrough and Celtic both interested in landing the former Barcelona youth star, Swans boss Martinez knows he could be forced to watch as the 23-year-old plays his football elsewhere next season.

But Bodde, whose future was the big talking point of last summer after Derby County's protracted pursuit of the playmaker, has spoken of his hopes that Gomez can return to Swansea to team up once more.

He said: "Players have to make a decision that's right for them if an offer comes in.

"If they go it's up to them - and whoever does we would miss them. It doesn't matter who it is because we are a close team who have done well together over the last two years.

"If Jason goes you would miss 50 goals, if Gomez goes you would miss his skills, if Rangel goes you would miss a great right-back with so much energy.

"You would not want to lose any of this team because we have done so well together."