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Ki Sung-Yueng has insisted his priority for the remainder of the season is to help keep Sunderland in the Premier League.
Confusion has surrounded the on-loan Korean's future, with Gus Poyet suggesting Swansea's option to recall him has expired but Swans supremo Hue Jenkins insisting they retain that right for the remainder of the transfer window.
However, Michael Laudrup has been consistent in stating he won't be bringing him back to the Liberty Stadium, and Ki himself couldn't seem to be any happier about it. He told the official Sunderland website:
My priority is helping the team and making sure Sunderland stay in this league. I’ve no other targets, it’s all about Sunderland.
It is certainly easy to see why he would be enjoying his football so much in the north east. He is very much the heart of the Sunderland team, something he doesn't look like ever being granted under Laudrup at Swansea, and has also been granted freedom to get further forward now. It's a role in which he is both reveling and producing.
I’ve got three goals this season, I’m happy with that, and I do enjoy scoring.
I have no aims when it comes to how many goals I score, I just want to do well for the team.
Obviously, given the comments were published by the club, they are going to be positive by design. You have to accept that with anything that comes out of any football club. In this case, though, Ki's actions over the last month or so have spoken a bit louder than them anyway.
What is actually going on with the right of recall? Who knows really? It is conceivable that Swansea are almost daring Sunderland to stump up the cash now to help fund their own January plans. Either way, you'd be surprised, given the comments of both managers, to see Ki leave the Wearside this month.
Fingers very much crossed.
