Michael Laudrup’s agent on a Spanish mission

Madrid: Michael Laudrup’s agent was at the Bernabeu on Tuesday night as Real Madrid attempted to overturn a 4-1 deficit against Borussia Dortmund.

On Wednesday night, he was due to be at the Nou Camp at the behest of Barcelona’s hierarchy and on Thursday he will be in Lisbon to see whether Benfica or Fenerbahce reach the Europa League final, where Chelsea hope to be the opposition.

These are precisely the circles in which you would expect to find Laudrup’s trusted associate mingling but the thoughts of Bayram Tutumlu will be fixed on Swansea.

Or, more specifically, the summer recruitment programme which he and Laudrup believe can lead the Capital One Cup winners to the final stages of the Europa League next year.

Laudrup’s impressive debut season in south Wales, together with his hero status as a former star of Real and Barca, has seen him tipped as a possible successor to Jose Mourinho at Real.

Other top clubs are also in hot pursuit of the charismatic Dane but he has pledged his future to Swansea, extended his contract until 2015 and will stand by this.

In comparison to some Barclays Premier League managers, Laudrup is not well paid but he and his wife Siw have taken to life in Wales and are thankful to Huw Jenkins for making it easy to adapt to a new home and a new club.

Jenkins, Swansea’s chairman and director of football, has a good chemistry with the man he selected to replace Brendan Rodgers and both he and Laudrup realise this summer is a vital period in Swansea’s development.

They are aware they must strengthen the squad ahead of a European campaign to guard against problems like those which befell Newcastle this season, while refusing to break their pay structure.

Jose Canas, a midfielder from Real Betis, has already been secured on a Bosman free transfer and there has been an ambitious move for Spain striker Alvaro Negredo.

Tutumlu has become accustomed to calls from players keen to work with Laudrup. One player Laudrup wanted happened to mention that he was his father’s hero. So Laudrup called for a chat and the player promptly signed.

Others have rejected offers from elsewhere worth two and three times as much in order to play for him.

The appeal for those based in Spain has proved phenomenal and is the reason why an audacious swoop for Negredo, valued at £15 million (Dh85.8 million) by Sevilla and coveted by Tottenham and Everton, is not as far-fetched as it may appear.

The Swansea manager tried to cool the speculation last week, claiming the fee would be driven beyond his club’s reach. He is too modest to promote the Laudrup factor and too canny to advertise the fact he views a strong centre forward as a priority for his team.

“We need more quality in the final pass and more quality in the finish,” said Laudrup after defeat at Chelsea on Sunday. “That’s why you pay so much money for some players.”

Tutumlu, with his connections in Spanish football, has become an increasingly influential figure at the Liberty Stadium. Based in Barcelona, he has represented Laudrup for more than 20 years. He is a Turkish Kurd and a friend of Massoud Barzani, the president of Iraqi Kurdistan.

“Michael has ambition,” said Tutumlu. “One day he will manage a big club but he is young. He doesn’t dream of managing Real Madrid. He played for Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus. Managers who did not play for those teams can dream.”