Liverpool Transfer Speculation: Gylfi Sigurdsson Is Close to Playing for Reds

As soon as Liverpool appointed a new manager in Brendan Rodgers after the sacking of Kenny Dalglish, the transfer rumors were bound to start.

There have been rumors linking Liverpool to Joe Allen, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Clint Dempsey already in a matter of a few days since Rodgers' appointment from Swansea. After the news of Dirk Kuyt joining Fenerbahce broke out, the Reds have been even more heavily linked with someone like Dempsey. We are focusing on Gylfi Sigurdsson for the moment, though.

Sigurdsson is in an interesting situation at the moment. Remember when Brendan Rodgers flew back to the United Kingdom from the United States and the media started linking him to the vacant hot seat at Liverpool? The punters also slashed the odds on Rodgers becoming the manager of the Reds for next season.

Swansea denied the speculation, and it was clarified that the permanent signing of Gylfi Sigurdsson from Hoffenheim was the issue being tackled, thus the presence of Mr.Rodgers was required.

What happened next was that Rodgers spoke to Liverpool, was appointed the Reds' manager and the £6.8 million deal for Sigurdsson that was a record-breaking one for Swansea stalled midway.

Rodgers is a fan of Sigurdsson, which is why he brought him to Swansea in the first place. Sigurdsson too would like to continue under his old boss, as he would be his blue-eyed boy.

Under a new managerial regime, there shall be no guarantees of playing time, something Sigurdsson will look to avoid. After all, his performances for Swansea in the latter half of last season do deserve some reward, even if that is a regular starting place. One can certainly not ask for more if that regular starting place is for a team like Liverpool.

Sigurdsson is only 22 at the moment. He will love to play in the Premier League and give his best years to Liverpool despite the fact that the Reds are not involved in Europe's elite competition for next season at least.

With all due respect to Hoffenheim, Liverpool is a club of a different class. Rodgers has also played this situation shrewdly without backstabbing his previous employers. This is what Rodgers had to say:

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"If he comes on the market I have to be interested. He knows that I rate his qualities and abilities. Gylfi came to Swansea because I was there as manager and his scoring record was fantastic. I pushed the club to make an agreement to sign Sigurdsson permanently, and they did that in terms of the fee—and agreed the salary.

"So I have said to Huw [Jenkins, Swansea chairman]: 'I'm not going to do anything untoward. This is a guy you want, but it is down to Gylfi.' If he comes on the market I have to be interested. He knows that I rate his qualities and abilities. I said to Huw: 'If I speak to the kid, I'll tell him to speak to the new manager, whoever that is.' But if he's not comfortable with that, he's in the marketplace then—and I have to look at him."

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If Sigurdsson comes to Liverpool, it bodes well for all four parties involved—the manager, the player, Hoffenheim (who would like to cash in) and Liverpool (who had a paltry number of goals from midfield last season).

Swansea undoubtedly would feel aggrieved, but the £7 million that they have just got from Liverpool might serve to alleviate their woes.