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Michael Laudrup is set to shop abroad again this summer – because buying British remains too expensive. 

The Swans boss is thought to have all but secured a deal to bring Real Betis midfielder Jose Canas to the Liberty for next season. 

And as he plots building upon an impressive first season in South Wales, more imports are set to follow the likes of Spanish success stories Michu and Chico Flores. 

Canas’ Betis team-mate Alejandro Pozuelo is on the wanted list, Celta Vigo’s Iago Aspas has been a long-term target while there are plenty of others after a lengthy scouting mission including Laudrup’s trusted right-hand man Erik Larsen, with Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku also being eyed-up. 

Whoever signs by the start of the season, it is sure to add to the already large overseas influence in Swansea’s continental squad. 

It is not new for the Swans dressing room to have a foreign accent, the club making the most of Spanish and Dutch talent in considerable measure since Roberto Martinez’s managerial tenure. 

It is not considered an issue, either, given the foreign influence at large, not only in the Premier League, but in modern football in general. 

Yet Laudrup concedes that the club must accept there could be problems in the future as they face up to the fact that their own careful financial planning and the over-pricing of home-grown talent remain at odds. 

Swansea do have a core of British players – led by captains Garry Monk, Ashley Williams and midfield stalwart Leon Britton. 

But Laudrup has bought British only once from his nine signings since arriving in South Wales, Kyle Bartley coming in from Arsenal in a £1m deal.  By going to Spain to do their shopping they have managed to find value as well as quality.  If £2m, 21-goal Michu is the obvious and clear example, Chico (£2m), Michel Vorm (£1.5m) and several others are all equally pertinent in the value to be found in mainland Europe compared to the exaggerated prices of the Premier League. 

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Swansea know that to their benefit, too, cashing in last summer on Team GB stars Scott Sinclair and Joe Allen and raising more than £20m from Manchester City and Liverpool in return. 

And while Laudrup had stressed his desire to keep a ‘national’ core to Swansea’s side on his arrival, his taste of the difficulties in doing that and sticking to budget was felt when he eyed up Bolton’s Mark Davies to replace Allen and was told it would cost £6m.

Swansea’s long-term solution is led by scouting chiefs David Leadbetter and Tim Henderson who are charged with finding young, homegrown talent in the mould of Neil Taylor who arrived for £150,000 from Wrexham before proving himself first in the Championship and then in the Premier League and international stage. 

However, Laudrup is aware that the greater strides his side makes, the harder it is for such planning to keep pace without the risk of undermining the here-and-now quality of the squad. 

“I have said to the club that there will always be a problem when you are one of the clubs with economic potential at this level,” said Laudrup. 

“You can have two years of mid-table and winning a trophy as well as playing in Europe, but it doesn’t make it any easier. 

“It’s not only here.  It’s in Spain or Italy.  When you have to buy a national player then they will be less money than international players.  The world is bigger than the UK.  But what is the problem?  If you are going to buy a British player then you will have to pay much more money. 

“If you have two players at the same level, one is three million and the other eight, then who do you choose? 

“You are not stupid so you say three.  But every time it is the same so what do you do? 

“So then you say you can take some players from the lower leagues.  But are they good enough now to come into the Premier League? 

“You can’t risk too much with too many players because you go down.  Nobody wants that. 

“We have seen the likes of Ashley Williams step up – but he came with the side – like Angel Rangel, like Leon Britton.  The problem is if you find an Ashley Williams in League One now, could he go in and play in the Premier League? 

“Or even someone from a low team in the Championship who could strengthen our team right now? 

“We have another problem.  The way we play compared to other teams makes it even more difficult.  For certain positions we look at different types or kinds of players. 

“My point is to strengthen the team for every year.  It will be even more difficult if the players who leave here are British as well.” 

That is an added factor for Swansea and Laudrup with the issue of retaining a British base of players not simply an ideological preference but part of the game’s rules.  Currently, Premier League rules insist that a maximum of 17 non-home-grown players – i.e. a player who has been at an English or Welsh club between the ages of 16 and 21 – can be permitted in the 25-man squad of senior (over 21-year-old) players. 

In the Europa League, which Swansea will play in next season, existing rules are for a minimum of eight home-grown players for a 25-man squad, although the club are seeking clarification on whether that will remain the case for next year. 

Add into that the fact that Swansea are likely to ship out fringe players, the majority of whom are British, and inevitably replace them with overseas talent and Laudrup’s concerns become apparent. 

And it has appeared part of the reason the Dane has been so non-committal on the future of Dwight Tiendalli.  The Dutchman out of contract at the end of the season and has provided able cover at full-back, but Swansea must ask themselves the question whether they can afford keeping an extra foreign body in reserve. 

“The players who came in have done quite well.  That is not my point here,” clarified Laudrup. “ My point is if you want to substitute all British with British or foreigner for British it will cost you a lot of money. 

“The only alternative to not having a high cost is to take less quality.  It’s a problem.” 

Laudrup is not alone.  Only last week Fulham boss Martin Jol mentioned that he also had to go overseas because the expense of British talent. 

“I always wanted to have an English spine but it is too costly,” said Jol. “ It is almost impossible to pay those prices, so I have to be inventive.” 

It is why Laudrup has been busy planning ahead, looking for smart and ideally silent moves to improve his squad and hoping to beat others to the punch in the knowledge that if they don’t they will be beaten by budget. 

“It’s difficult and not easy because say we want a British player and then Newcastle, Sunderland or whoever want him as well then we pay £3million more and we’re out,” he said. 

“Every time is the same. 

“When you find someone you have to do it quickly.  We still have numbers, it’s just a warning for the future.” 

Laudrup’s answer to how to solve the problem is telling. 

“I don’t know,” he said simply. 

And it is not clear whether it will be more Swansea’s than his problem to solve, with Laudrup having previously suggested that it the issue will come to a head in five years rather than five months with the hope Swansea have moved on with their small, structured steps in the meantime. 

“There will be some decisions to make as well for the club in the next years because it gets more difficult.  I am the first to admit that money does not always buy you success but you do need some to buy good players and the problem is, if you want a player and other two clubs in Premier League they can always buy them,” said Laudrup, speaking before the Capital One Cup success that sealed European football for next season. 

“We have to do things quietly.  Do we want to buy British players because it is difficult because you can’t or won’t pay that money.  Will in five years we see this club with 80% of foreigners?  I don’t know

“We know you move forward step by step.  Small steps but in the right direction.”