Laudrup to talk with Allen

Team GB's Olympic football men were eliminated from the London 2012 competition by the inevitable jolly that is the penalty shoot-out at the quarter-final stage and if his schedule was correct, that was the cue for Joe Allen to finally put to bed one of the summer's long-running transfer sagas; will Swansea's Allen join his former boss Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool, or not? 

Well, despite news of Liverpool having a bid rejected of £12 million plus the loan of Jonjo Shelvey, there hasn't been any breakthrough news filtering through and Allen remains a Swansea player for the time being.

The Daily Mail had broken news that the Welsh central-midfield maestro had agreed terms with the Anfield club, but it appears the newspaper had jumped the gun a little, so new Swansea boss Michael Laudrup wants to put an end to the confusion by holding talks with his 22 year old midfielder, who was integral to the Swans' superb debut year in the Premier League. 

Allen had announced that he wanted to forget about the constant links with Anfield to concentrate on the Olympic games, but it appears Laudrup, wanting to set a stable team for the forthcoming season, wants to put it straight back on the agenda.

Laudrup told Sky Sports of his intentions with Allen, who has a reported release clause of £15 million in his contract, and also said of his plans to improve his squad with some signings of his own.

A striker and a winger are believed to be on his shopping list having already secured Jonathon De Guzman, Michu and Chico Flores in what is becoming a rather greedy foray into the market for the former Barcelona player.