Michu gets the Swans flying

What would you wish to do if you were the manager of a Premier League club Loosen the purse strings of your owner, talk about ‘big buys’ and a ‘new direction’ for the large part of the transfer window and finally throw in a bagful of British pounds for a striker who ‘will terrorise rival defences.’ If you had been a highly acclaimed footballer with a God-like reputation to be protected, those temptations will only be perhaps stronger. But not if you are Michael Laudrup and definitely not if the club is Swansea — who, thanks to the reign under their former boss Brendan Rodgers, are already known to be smart swimmers in the turbulent waters of the transfer window. During the summer of 2012, when all the buzz was about Robin van Persie’s impending move to Manchester, Laudrup’s Swansea did little business — the modest Wales club, based at the 20,750-capacity Lib-erty Stadium, spent £2m on a little-known 26-year-old named Miguel Pérez Cuesta a.k.a Michu of Rayo Vallecano. 188 games, 2,686 shots on target and 526 goals later, right at the top of the goal-scorers list, accompanying the prolific £24m van Persie, sits Michu with his tally of 13 goals. A remarkable feat considering the League has the likes of $50m Fernando Torres and an array of highly talented Spanish and French-speaking mavericks. And to fathom that Michu — whose off-the-ball runs and finishing ability would make even the best centre-forwards bury their heads in sand — is not even a striker, is mindboggling. Michu’s success in EPL is a reminder that a good scouting network can unearth some real talent even at an age when Riyals and Ruble dominate the League. So it was hardly surprising that it was Michu who equalised against the Red Devils during their clash at the Liberty Stadium. “Michael Laudrup is cherry-picking [in the market] and the boy Michu was a first-class piece of business. Just £2million and I’d never really heard of him. I should have a word with my scouting department,” Sir Alex Ferguson had told the Manchester United website, prior to the game. Michu’s ability to create and score goals — a classic No.10 characteristic — has made even the Spain coach Vicente del Bosque to stand up and take notice. That a coach, who is known to prefer players from La Liga, is contemplating international debut for the attacking midfielder during the February 6 friendly against Uruguay, speaks volumes about Michu. But as we head to another winter transfer window, money bags will hover over the Liberty Stadium for the Spaniard. It would be a shame if Swansea fail to hold onto Michu, at least till the summer. The sight of a hitherto-unknown player ripping apart Premier League biggies and running down the pitch with a one-hand-up-to-his-ear celebration does assure one that football is at its best.