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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Tom Coleman

Swansea City given Chiedozie Ogbene jolt as they learn Middlesbrough's intentions

Middlesbrough are not currently in the running to sign Rotherham United star Chiedozie Ogbene, WalesOnline understands.

Reports in Belgium this week had suggested giants Club Brugge and Middlesbrough were among those taking a look at the Irish international, who's a top target for Swansea City this month.

However, while he's a name that might well have been privately mentioned by both clubs, neither side has shown any concrete interest at this stage.

READ MORE: Swansea City transfer news as Paterson future takes big twist and Martin goes on record with Rangers' Whittaker bid

Ogbene has been on the radar at in south Wales since the summer, with the Swans initially priced out of a move after the Millers triggered the option of an extra year on his current deal.

Now, with his renewed deal set to come to end at the end of the season, he has emerged as a top target for Russell Martin - as reported by WalesOnline before the window re-opened.

Both Swansea and Championship rivals Millwall have subsequently had bids turned down this month, but Rotherham are keen to ensure they get what they feel is the best possible price for the player, and have little appetite to sell.

Indeed, with Rotherham still fighting relegation, it's possible they may forego the opportunity to cash in and keep him on board to help aid their battle for survival.

Swansea may well step up efforts to soften that stance before the close of the window, but there's growing pessimism over the possibility of a deal being completed this month, with little sign of an imminent breakthrough.

At the time of writing, Swansea are yet to bring anyone on board in this window. It's a situation that has likely become a source of frustration for Martin, who suggested as much after the recent FA Cup third round replay defeat at the hands of Bristol City on Tuesday night.

“I’d have loved a new face in by now, just to help the guys and give everyone a boost," he said.

“Since I’ve been here, we’ve done a lot of deals late on in transfer windows, but we have to avoid some of the deals we’ve done previously.

“We’ve ended up making signings that bolster the squad but don’t impact the starting 11. I don’t think it reflects very well on us or the player. If we’re going to sign people, they need to really make an impact and really change the dynamic of the squad.”

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