Swansea City have halved goalkeeper Steven Benda’s price-tag for a potential sale from the South Wales club – but Peterborough United still aren’t going to make a permanent move for the German.
That is according to Posh director of football Barry Fry, who has claimed that the League One club – who were relegated from the Championship at the end of the 2021-22 season – have moved on to other targets.
Peterborough swooped for the 23-year-old, who had featured five times earlier in the campaign in the Championship under Russell Martin, during the January transfer window on loan deal until the end of the season.
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Benda played nine times for Peterborough but then ended up breaking a finger, curtailing his season two months early.
Posh would have liked to have recruited Benda on a permanent basis for next season, but they baulked at Swansea’s initial valuation of £1 million and informed the Welsh outfit that a bid would not be made.
Now though, Fry has revealed that the proposed fee has been cut to £500,000, but the club Benda does eventually go to will not be Peterborough, as they have now set their sights on alternatives.
“They did want a million for Steven, but now it’s £500k,” Fry told the Peterborough Telegraph.
“We’re still not going there. It’s a lot of money for a League One goalkeeper and there’s the issue of wages for a player who still has two years on his Swansea contract to run.
“He is earning far more than we could pay him.
“We have other targets and we have made very progress on a couple of players.
“We could well bring in a couple of players on loan, including a goalkeeper.
“We are talking to a Premier League club about a loan player, but that deal is taking time.”
The Verdict
Benda seemingly does not have a future under Russell Martin at Swansea, despite playing the first five Championship matches of the season when it was just a choice between the German and Ben Hamer.
Since those starts, Benda was replaced by the more experienced Hamer and then Andrew Fisher was acquired from MK Dons, which has in-turn froze the 23-year-old out.
Benda shouldn’t have any issues finding a club somewhere – perhaps it will be back in his home nation – but unless something drastic happens then it won’t be with Peterborough.
Whilst doing nothing wrong in his time at London Road, money will be tight at Posh this summer due to their relegation and perhaps spending half a million pounds on Benda wouldn’t be the wisest thing to do.
