Swansea City in talks over Jason Scotland
South Wales Evening Post
SWANSEA City are in negotiations to bring Jason Scotland back to the Liberty, with Ipswich demanding £500,000 for the striker.
Though Swansea officially declined to comment on reports linking them to the 32-year-old, the Evening Post understands chairman Huw Jenkins was last night holding talks with Tractor Boys chief executive Simon Clegg over the player.
Ipswich are believed to be willing for their asking price to be broken down into payments linked to Scotland's appearance and goal-scoring record.
But Swansea want him for free.
Brendan Rodgers is keen to add to his attacking options after breaking the club's transfer record to land Danny Graham in a £3.5 million deal from Watford.
Eidur Gudjohnsen, Leroy Lita and Marvin Emnes are all forwards believed to be in his sights.
And it has emerged that former top-scorer Scotland is also on Rodgers's wish list.
Scotland only arrived at Portman Road a year ago, but could be surplus to requirements next season after Ipswich boss Paul Jewell signed Michael Chopra and Nathan Ellington this summer, while he also has Tamas Priskin among his ranks.
Brighton are among a clutch of Championship clubs also chasing the Trinidadian's signature, but it is understood Scotland would jump at the chance to return to Swansea, where he enjoyed the best spell of his career.
Scotland scored 50 goals in two seasons at Swansea under Roberto Martinez.
He then followed the Spaniard to Premier League Wigan where he struggled to make an impact, scoring just twice in 36 appearances.
After moving to Ipswich he netted ten times last term despite playing in a team that often adopted more direct tactics not suited to his strengths.
Swansea's discussions with Ipswich could be complicated by the recent public spat between the clubs.
Clegg called for the Premier League to impose a transfer embargo on Swansea last month after claiming they owed payments connected to the deal that saw Priskin head to the Liberty on loan last season.
That issue has since been resolved after Swansea settled the debt.
Meanwhile, Swansea's pursuit of Newcastle winger Wayne Routledge appears to have hit a stumbling block. The 26-year-old still has two years to run on a lucrative contract at St James' Park which the string of clubs chasing him are not prepared to match.
Swansea along with West Ham, Birmingham, Nottingham Forest, Leicester and Cardiff are believed to be tracking a player who impressed while on loan at Championship title- winners Queens Park Rangers last season.
The player is trying to get his Newcastle deal paid-off, but the Magpies have so far been unwilling to agree to that.
Unless that situation changes, the player is unlikely to go anywhere.
But speculation that another Swansea target could be on his way to South Wales was fuelled yesterday after Emnes did not travel for Middlesbrough's pre-season tour of Slovenia, officially because of a groin problem.
Another player linked to Swansea, Lita, did leave with the Boro squad.
