Hannes Wolf says he never expected to return to Swansea City following his loan spell at the club last season.
The Austrian joined the Swans in January from Borussia Mönchengladbach and impressed during the second half of the 2021/22 campaign, making 19 appearances and scoring two goals, the first of which came against rivals Cardiff City as Russell Martin's men completed a historic double.
Following Swansea's clash with Queens Park Rangers on the final day of last season, Russell Martin stated he would love to see Wolf return to the club, adding that the player himself was keen on another switch to the Swansea.com Stadium. However, the head coach was quick to admit that deals for Wolf and Cyrus Christie were highly unlikely due to the finances involved.
"They both want to stay," he said about the pair in May. "It'll come down to finances. Both have sacrificed finance this year to come which shows their character.
"We'll need to do it again and I'm not convinced we'll get to where we need to get to. We'll have to really look at it and make a decision on that really soon on how far we're willing to go."
But following his return to Germany, Wolf stated he always expected to stay with Borussia Mönchengladbach after his stint in south Wales. "I didn't have that thought," he told Gladbach Live when asked if he considered extending his stay with the Swans. "I agreed to this loan to get practice and confidence. I've always been aware that I'll go back to Borussia.
"Basically, the first two and a half years in Germany were not easy for me. It never really went the way I imagined it would. I was able to tap into my potential again at Swansea, and I also played regularly. Of course that felt good.
"It's been a really cool experience. I've managed to clear my head, I've been able to play regularly and I've had fun."
He now wants to help his side in the forthcoming season in the Bundesliga. "I'm here to attack," he said. "I have refueled strength and power. I want to prove that too. I want to prove that to myself too, because I'm not at all happy with how things have gone, if we exclude the time at Swansea, the last year and a half."
And asked what is his goal now, he concluded: "That I can assert myself at Borussia and show what I'm made of. I want to prove that to myself and to the people who, to a certain extent, expect the same from me in Gladbach."
Swansea remain in the market for a right wing-back this summer having already recruited Matty Sorinola on loan from Belgian outfit Union SG. Wolf's comments come after new boss Daniel Farke stated all players at Mönchengladbach would be given a fresh start under his leadership.
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