Swansea want me says Crystal Palace’s Jonny Williams

Swansea City, 5/1 shots to be relegated from the Premier League next term, are interested in signing Crystal Palace starlet Jonny Williams, according to the player himself.

Capped five times by Wales, the 20-year-old Eagles academy graduate had a bit-part role in the Premier League under Ian Holloway and Tony Pulis this season, and was loaned out to Championship club Ipswich Town.

Williams told the press: “I spoke to my agent who says [Swansea] were interested. I need to play football, preferably at Palace, but if not I’d have to consider playing elsewhere.”

Swans manager Garry Monk, recently appointed on a permanent basis after steering them to Premier League safety, has already made his first signing at the Liberty Stadium in Poland stopper Lukasz Fabianski.

The former Arsenal goalie’s arrival in south Wales sparked speculation current number one Michel Vorm could be on his way out, however, with former Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers rumoured to be interested in taking the Dutch custodian to Liverpool.

Reported interested in Williams could lead to similar doubts over the futures of midfield performers like Jonathan de Guzman, who has spent the last two seasons on loan at the Liberty from Villarreal.

England cap Jonjo Shelvey and versatile Spaniard Pablo Hernandez are others linked with leaving the Swans. Monk thus has his work cut out to try and keep the squad assembled by predecessor Michael Laudrup together.

“Swansea are a great team,” added Williams. “They’ve shown over the last few years that they can do it at the top level. I haven’t heard much personally about if anything’s been offered… but I’m sure I’ll know more about it in the next few weeks.

“It’s hard to think about [leaving] because I’ve been there for so long. If I can get in the team at Palace, that’s the main thing. But I need to play football at Palace, and I wasn’t last year because I ended up going on loan.”

Williams’ current club Palace are 9/4 with Coral to lose Premier League status in 2014/15, and commentators are predicting Pulis may find it difficult to replicate their mid-table finish because of the accursed ‘second season syndrome’.