Oli McBurnie to Swansea City: Rival interest, stumbling block and admission on future

Wales Online

25-05-2025

Oli McBurnie to Swansea City: Rival interest, stumbling block and admission on future
The striker is set to be on the move this summer, but a return to Swansea may not be straightforward
PAMPLONA, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 21: Oli Mcburnie of UD Las Palmas reacts during the LaLiga match between CA Osasuna and UD Las Palmas at Estadio El Sadar on September 21, 2024 in Pamplona, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel)
(Image: Juan Manuel)
The transfer window hasn't even opened yet, but there's a palpable sense of excitement around Swansea City heading into the summer.
Having already snapped up two new faces already, director of football Richard Montague and the club's new look recruitment team may well take their plans up a notch over the coming weeks, although judging by the rumblings on social media, it's crystal clear who fans would like to see come through the door.
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Neither Luka Modric nor Ben Davies, sadly, are likely to fulfil the admittedly ambitious wishes of the Jack Army.
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Modric is reportedly being eyed up by the MLS, while there are already suggestions that Davies could be a target for teams in Saudi Arabia. Sign up to the Swansea City WhatsApp service to get breaking news and top stories sent to your phone
But those two aren't the only ones to have been slotted into the dream XI's of supporters right now.
News of interest in Oli McBurnie has also seemingly captured the imagination, presumably because there seems to be at least the flicker of a chance that it could actually happen.
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Swansea have, it's understood, placed the striker's name on a list of potential targets for this window, but a lot will still need to happen if a move is to come to fruition.
Following their relegation from La Liga, Las Palmas have released the 28-year-old due to clause in his contract, and that clearly pushes him further towards the sort of basket Swansea might be operating in this summer.
But they surely won't be the only ones to have been alerted to his availability.
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Indeed, reports elsewhere claim Hull City have already expressed an interest, while there are also believed to be admirers from elsewhere in Spain.
For what it's worth, McBurnie himself is understood to be open to a return to the UK as evidenced by recent comments made in the wake of his release.
"Obviously, we didn't reach our goal this year and we didn't manage to stay up, so my contract has gone from three years to being up again, so I'm a free agent," he told BBC Radio Sheffield's Football Heaven this week.
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'Then next week, I'll head back home for the summer and have a couple of weeks with the family. It's been lovely being out here but, at the same time, it's obviously hard being away from the family so much. I'll have a talk about it with my missus and see what we want to do.'
It seems there may well be some clarity over his next move within the next couple of weeks. Whether Swansea are still in the hunt by then remains to be seen. Sign up to our Swansea City newsletter here.
Then again, it's claimed that if Swansea were able to put together a suitable package, a return to south Wales would almost certainly appeal.
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But it's that point that could prove the big sticking point. McBurnie's wage demands, it's claimed, could well be beyond what Swansea are able to offer, and indeed some other Championship clubs.
In any case, the Swans need to actually put a proposal down for it to be considered, and sources have indicated to WalesOnline that interest from SA1 hasn't morphed into a concrete approach at this stage.
If that's to change, Swansea may well have to get creative.