Everton target Gylfi Sigurdsson wants to stay at Swansea

Gylfi Sigurdsson has responded to reports linking him with a move to Everton by insisting he is happy at Swansea.

Speaking at the club’s end of season awards, where he won Player and Players’ Player of the Year, the 27-year-old said any decision for him to move on would be taken by the club.

Everton were interested in signing Sigurdsson last summer and his nine goals and 13 assists this season is unlikely to have cooled their interest.

However, any hope of Sigurdsson pushing for a move to Goodison Park appear to have been dashed, the Icelander stating:

“I expect to stay. I signed a new contract last summer and I’ve got three years left, so it’s down to the club if they want to sell me. It’s down to them, but I’m very happy here.

“I’m not trying to leave, not desperate to go or anything. It’s not like I want to go, it’s just very calm and I’m not focused or concentrating on what people are writing.

“I’ve always been happy here and you only have to look at the coaching staff who came in to see there are good things happening here. They’re top notch and Paul Clement knows what he’s doing.”

“It doesn’t bother me what people are talking about. It’s been easy in the last couple of months because we’ve been in a very serious position in the league, so it’s been easy to concentrate on that.

"I think it’ll continue to be like that because whatever happens, happens.

“As I said, I’m happy here; I’ve played a lot of football and the goals and the assists have been coming for last three years. We’ve played some good football apart from maybe a year and a half. Things haven’t been going well as I have liked but I have still enjoyed the pressure of being in this situation.”

Had Swansea been relegated then Everton’s chances of landing Sigurdsson would have been considerably easier.

The financial black hole caused by dropping into the Championship would have made it near impossible for Swansea to keep hold of their best players.

The Swans’ survival means they will be able to resist rival bids or at the very least command higher transfer fees.

Sigurdsson’s comments also suggest it will be hard to prize him away from south Wales, though you have to remember where he was speaking.

The midfielder has hardly going to tout himself out to other clubs while speaking at his present employer’s awards ceremony.

What it does mean is Everton may have to pay a hefty premium to land the former Hoffenheim man.

Swansea will obviously be reluctant to sell, but there will undoubtedly be a price that will prove too high for them to resist.

Whether Everton are willing to meet that price though remains to be seen.