Nottingham Forest play-maker Ben Osborn has been on Newcastle United’s radar for some time and struggling Swansea City may struggle to lure him.
It is fair to say Paul Clements’ honeymoon period at Swansea City is well and truly over. And while a sticky divorce would clearly be premature, a sixth Premier League game without a win means the South Welsh side are in danger of being turfed out of the top flight.
The Swans lost 1-0 to mid-table, little-to-play-for Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday afternoon in a fixture Clement must surely have ticked off as a ‘must win’. As a result, Swansea are two points adrift of safety with five games to go.
And, as if losing their Premier League status was not bad enough, relegation may also cost Swansea one of their primary transfer targets. The Sun claims that the Swans are tracking Nottingham Forest midfielder Ben Osborn but they may have a major disadvantage.
Because the newspaper reports that Burnley, all but safe with an eight point cushion between themselves and the bottom three, are ready to fight for the 22-year-old along with a Newcastle United side on the verge of promotion.
The Daily Mirror reported recently that Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez is a keen admirer of Osborn, renowned for his vision and intelligence in tight spaces, and will return in the summer after attempting to sign him in January.
If Osborn is to leave Nottingham Forest in the summer, it is unlikely he would choose a recently relegated Swansea over two Premier League sides, despite the fact his clever link play means he could slot in perfectly in Clement’s midfield.
Therefore, the Swans must pull off a dramatic escape if they are to harbour realistic hopes of beating Burnley, and long-standing suitors Newcastle in particular, to Osborn in the summer.
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