Exclusive: Sky Sports pundit makes transfer prediction for £8,500k-a-week Swansea City star | OneFootball

Speaking exclusively with FLW, Lee Hendrie has been discussing the future of Swansea City star Goncalo Franco.

Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie says it's vital that Swansea City try to retain Goncalo Franco this summer, but admitted he believes the midfielder will leave the club.

The 24-year-old arrived in Wales last summer, signing from Moreirense in his native Portugal. In his first season with the Swans, he made 40 Championship appearances, scoring two goals and chipping in with two assists.

This has seen some interest emerge in Franco, with rumours arising that Sporting CP had made a bid to sign the Swansea star. However, these claims were later reported to be false by the Swansea Independent.

A later report by WalesOnline then said that unnamed clubs in England, Portugal and Germany are all said to be keen on signing the Portuguese midfielder in the summer, reaffirming that no bids had been received by the Welsh club.

WalesOnline continued to state that Swansea are reluctant to sanction a sale, as they see Franco as a key part of new head coach Alan Sheehan's plans next season.

The report also suggests that this decision may well depend on whether the right offer comes in for their midfield maestro, as the Welsh side's current financial situation could make a sale more likely.

Lee Hendrie tips Swansea City to lose Goncalo Franco this summer

Football League World spoke exclusively to former Aston Villa star turned Sky Sports pundit Hendrie, asking him how vital it is that the former EFL Cup winners keep hold of their star player.

The 48-year-old told FLW: "I think it is [vital to keep Franco], but Swansea have really struggled to do so [keep hold of players].

"The likes of Grimes have gone, it looks like he [Franco] will go as well and this is where I think Swansea are just falling away.

"We've seen the likes of Cardiff, who have been in a similar sort of situation where they haven't been able to keep hold of players. The success hasn't been there, they've struggled in the Championship.

"Swansea have been exactly the same. They've had such mediocre seasons where they've just been in that bottom half and haven't really set the Championship alight like they have done before," Hendrie continued.

"I do feel that [if] you start selling your main players and your main assets, I think that the inevitable ends up happening because you end up taking a gamble on players, which I'm sure they're going to have to this season.

"I think when you look at their squad depth, it's never been quite there, and I think that's why managers have left the football club, because there hasn't been a progression there. Good players that they've had, they've sold on, and they haven't been able to invest and bring players in.

"So yes, I think it's vital that they try and keep hold of him, but I don't think that'll happen - I think he'll leave."

Swansea will be keen to fend off Franco interest

As mentioned, Franco is expected to play a key role in Sheehan's Swansea setup next season, having impressed in his first campaign with the club and ending the season in a rich vein of form.

One bonus for the Welsh outfit is that the Portuguese star is contracted at the Swansea.com Stadium until the summer of 2028, so the Swans are under no pressure to sell, and could even command a bigger fee due to the length of his contract.

The Portuguese midfielder is reportedly earning a weekly wage of £8,500 in South-West Wales, as per figures from Capology - which must be stressed are an estimate.

Losing captain Matt Grimes in January was a huge disappointment, following his years of service to the club, but the former Premier League side will be keen not to have a repeat scenario with Franco this summer.

Now Sheehan has finally got his break into first-team management, Swansea will want to give him all the resources available to ensure he succeeds.

If the Irishman views Franco as a key cog in his system, then the Swans will be keen to fend off the interest in the midfielder.