Opinion: Swansea City should target Nottingham Forest player if Michael Obafemi leaves this month | OneFootball

Swansea City are preparing to return to Championship action this Saturday as they face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

The Swans are heading into this game with one win in their last five Championship games and have just drawn with Bristol City in the third round of the FA Cup.

However, off the pitch it’s been a busy week for Swansea, as striker Michael Obafemi has once again been linked with a move away from the club, as Burnley continue to circle.

The Clarets were interested in Obafemi in the summer transfer window, but a deal failed to materialise. However, that hasn’t stopped Vincent Kompany’s men as according to Lancs Live, they are once again interested in signing the striker.

This news comes at a time where the 22-year-old hasn’t been in Russell Martin’s plans for a while now with the ex-Southampton man being left out of the Swans’ matchday squads altogether.

It has also been revealed by Alex Crook that the Swans won’t be looking for a hefty fee like they were in the summer, with it believed to be around £12 million the asking price six months ago.

While last month, Martin admitted that Obafemi wasn’t meeting his expectations as the striker is currently underperforming.

Therefore, it seems likely that the striker is going to leave the Welsh club this month, and that means Martin and co. will be on the lookout for a new striker this month.

One player who has been linked with a potential departure from his club is Nottingham Forest’s Sam Surridge, and he is definitely someone that Swansea should be looking at.

Sunderland and Burnley have been credited with an interest in the 24-year-old in recent weeks and has emerged recently that the striker would prefer to stay at Nottingham Forest for the remainder of the season to fight for his place, rather than drop back to the second tier.

Surridge arrived at the City Ground in this same transfer window last season after a mixed bag of performances at Stoke City. The striker played an important role in the remainder of the season for Forest and helped guide Steve Cooper’s men to the Premier League.

However, now a division higher, the striker has found his playing time somewhat limited. He has made 10 appearances in the league so far, with many of these coming as late cameos off the bench.

Forest are a side that are well stocked in the striking department this season, and that is before they bring any new additions in this month. Therefore, a move does still seem possible for Surridge despite the striker saying he would like to stay at Forest.

If Swansea were to go after a player like Surridge, they would be getting someone who is well-equipped for this league. He has played 86 times in the division and has managed to score 17 goals and provide four assists.

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However, the 24-year-old is also the type of striker that can mix up his game; he has the ability to get the ball at his feet and beat players, while he can also impose himself on an opposition’s defence and use his strength and aerial threat.

He is still a young player and has plenty left to improve, but the Swans would be getting someone who could grow with the club and wouldn’t be a short-term solution. He would be a different type of striker than Obafemi, but he is someone that could easily replace Obafemi’s goal input.

The transfer fee is the one sticking point, as Forest may be unwilling to sell at this time or may be asking for too much. Therefore, Martin and Swansea could go down the route of getting Surridge in on loan and pursuing a permanent deal in the summer.