Breakout Socceroos star Massimo Luongo is staying put at Swindon Town for now, with the third-tier English club fending off strong interest on transfer deadline day.
The 22-year-old midfielder, described by his club manager as the David Beckham of Australian football, has been the subject of intense transfer speculation since being named player of the Asian Cup.
It appears only a matter of time before Luongo moves to a higher league but he will remain part of third-placed Swindon’s fight for promotion to the Championship next season after the club’s rejection of several offers.
They included a bid, reported to be as high as STG3.5 million ($A6.75 million), from Championship side Cardiff City on Monday and a big-money offer from an unnamed Qatari club.
It followed Swindon rejecting a STG2.5 million ($A4.85 million) offer from a Turkish club last week and rumoured interest from other clubs in England, Spain and Germany.
Luongo has said he is keen to help the club fight for promotion and Swindon chairman Lee Power is relieved to have survived the transfer window without losing his key midfielders, Luongo and highly rated Iraqi midfielder Yaser Kasim.
“I want to keep (the squad) together and have a real go this year. It’s a really important year for us,” Power told Swindon news site Link Sport.
It is believed Swindon were only willing to sell Luongo if they could loan him back immediately for the rest of the season.
Robins manager Mark Cooper suggested on Sunday Luongo could be worth as much as STG5 million ($A9.65 million) but said he had no desire to sell.
“When you play in a global tournament, you’re going to get foreign teams interested in you and that’s what has happened to Mass,” Cooper told Link Sport.
“He’s the pin-up boy of Australian football now and I know his peers in the Australian team think highly of him, and that’s the biggest accolade you can get as a footballer.
“He’s the David Beckham of Australia now, is Mass.”
Socceroos goalkeeper Mat Ryan is also staying put with Club Brugge after reported interest from Liverpool, though a move away from Belgium appears likely at the end of the season.
A possible loan move for defender Curtis Good from Newcastle to Rangers didn’t eventuate but striker Eli Babalj will join fellow Australian Trent Sainsbury at high-flying Dutch club PEC Zwolle on loan from AZ Alkmaar until the end of the season.
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