Alfie Mawson has pledged his future to relegation-threatened Swansea City, despite being a £25m target for West Ham.
The England U21 centre-back is wanted by Hammers manager David Moyes and has previously interested both Spurs and Southampton.
But Mawson, 23, insists his priority is to stick with the suffering Swans during this transfer window and make sure they are still in the Premier League at the end of the season.
“I want to be a Swansea player in this league,” said Mawson who moved to the Liberty Stadium from Barnsley in August 2016 and has thrived after a sticky start despite his club’s struggles.
“The links are flattering, but I have two and a half years on my contract so I am committed to being here. Whatever happens, happens. I can’t decide on the future. That’s for others.
“But I’m a Swansea player and I want to do well here. I don’t want to be in this position again. I don’t like having conversations about where we are in the league.”
Mawson – who was working on his father’s fruit and veg market stall four years ago – has been linked with bigger clubs since finding his feet under former Swansea boss Paul Clement last season and played a key role in England’s march to the semi-finals of last summer’s European U21 Championships.
New Swansea manager Carlos Carvalhal has also insisted he is under no pressure to sell one of the club’s few remaining assets.
Fellow centre-back Virgil van Dijk may have been prepared to burn bridges at Southampton before gaining his £75m move to Liverpool, but Mawson insists there will be no chance of him angling for a move.
“I can’t afford to be affected by the rumours of interest, because I would then find myself distracted by them, out the team, and my teammates would feel I’ve let them down.
“Next season, we can still be in the Premier League. People shouldn’t write us off because we showed last year we can do this, when the situation last season was even worse than this time.”
The Swans remain bottom of the table, four points from safety, and face a critical match away to Newcastle on Saturday.
Carvalhal – who saw his team draw 0-0 at Wolves at the weekend to earn an FA Cup 3rd round replay – has still to bring in new signings in the January transfer window, but has revealed he will not be plundering his home country of Portugal.
Carvalhal has confirmed he knows where the quality players are located in his homeland, but says they are out of the Swans’ price range.
“I must tell you that in this moment, I am not looking towards any Portuguese players,” he said.
“The Portuguese players who I think could help this team, we would need £30million, or maybe £40million for. That is the kind of money being asked for.
“So, I’m not looking for any Portuguese players at the moment. I am looking at the global market.
“I prefer players who are adaptable to English football, but it’s not essential they have played in England in the Premier League.
“I know all the Portuguese players, but to achieve the one who is good for us, then they will be asking out of our budget.
“I like looking for players but these are different circumstances.
“If this was the beginning of the season then I know I could bring in two or three players from the Championship – maybe players people have never heard of – and they would make a difference to this club.
“But now is not this moment. We now need more experience in the team.”
