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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Ian Mitchelmore

Swansea City's striker merry-go-round, Ashley Barnes links and where Burnley and Rangers stand in it all

Transfer deadline day is fast approaching, and Swansea City are yet to make a signing in the January window.

The Swans have seen Armstrong Oko-Flex, Fin Stevens, Jordon Garrick, Nathanael Ogbeta and Brandon Cooper all leave while the only addition has come in the form of Morgan Whittaker's recall from Plymouth Argyle.

They have missed out on a number of striker targets, most recently Joe Gelhardt, who is now on the brink of joining Sunderland on loan from Leeds United.

READ MORE: Swansea City transfer news as Ashley Barnes links surface, Obafemi medical due and frontrunners for Leeds United star emerge

Rotherham United's Chiedozie Ogbene remains an option, although the Millers will not be selling the Republic of Ireland international on the cheap, despite his contract situation.

The most recent link has seen Swansea credited with an interest in Burnley forward Ashley Barnes - who is out of contract at Turf Moor in the summer.

Given the Clarets' imminent capture of Michael Obafemi combined with their addition of Lyle Foster from Westerlo, Barnes is likely to find game-time hard to come by in the final months of the current campaign.

However, at 33 years of age, the striker quite simply does not fit the club's model. It would be a surprise move to say the least.

The nature of Obafemi's switch - a loan with an obligation for Burnley to buy - does little to help Swansea's short-term need to bolster their squad given that the bulk of finances will be paid in the summer. And then there's Whittaker's situation to take into account.

The 22-year-old was less than impressed with Swansea's decision to prematurely cut his season-long loan deal with Plymouth short, and he did not feature for Russell Martin's side at Queens Park Rangers amid transfer interest from Rangers.

The Scottish Premiership outfit are understood to be well short of Swansea's valuation of Whittaker, and, barring a dramatic upturn in numbers in the final days of the window, the versatile attacker is expected to remain at the club beyond Tuesday's 11pm deadline.

It could well be a case of one out and one in with Obafemi and Whittaker in the forward department, although Martin certainly hopes a rabbit can be pulled out of the hat in the coming days as the Swans bid to remain in the play-off hunt.

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