Sheehan backs Cullen as striker search goes on

Alan Sheehan says Swansea City will only sign a striker in this transfer window if they can find a player with enough quality to strengthen their forward line.

Swansea have spent much of the close season pursuing attacking targets but are yet to land a senior centre-forward.

The Championship club failed in an attempt to bring Oli McBurnie back to Wales, while they were also thought to be interested in Basel's Spanish striker Kevin Carlos before he moved to Nice earlier this week.

Richard Kone, Willem Geubbels and Jusef Erabi are others who have been considered by Swansea but have either gone elsewhere or have been scratched off the list of potential targets.

The Swans have brought in Bobby Wales from Kilmarnock, but the promising teenager is seen as a player with potential rather than someone who is likely to hold down a regular first-team spot straight away.

Liam Cullen has started Swansea's first two league games of the season, and Sheehan has stressed that he is a big admirer of the Wales international as his team prepare for Saturday's home meeting with Watford (12:30 BST).

"When we talk about potential players coming in, the first person I think of is the nine that is playing in Liam Cullen, an absolute tireless worker for the team, somebody who's on my team sheet more than he's not," the Swansea head coach said.

"He's a Welsh international - Craig Bellamy plays him as well and there's a reason for that.

"So when we talk about bringing players in and for competition, they have to be better than what we have."

Sheehan had been hopeful that a deal for a new frontman was close last weekend but now acknowledges that he was "probably a bit off on that one".

"I don't think one is imminent, but it's obviously one the club are looking at," he added.

The likelihood is that if Swansea do secure a forward before the window closes on 1 September, the player would arrive from a European league.

There has been some interest in Zan Vipotnik this summer, though the Swans could not consider letting the Slovenia international leave unless they have a player coming the other way.

"Let's get the right one and if he's not available, we stick with what we have and then we strengthen again [in future windows]," Sheehan added.

"[We will] not just bring in players that will appease people for two or three months and then six to nine months down the line, think that actually it wasn't the right one.

"That's a big shout out to Culls really because he's doing such a wonderful job for the team, and he will score goals. I know that.

"In terms of his work ethic, how much he loves the football club, how he shows up, how he is with the detail every day - we're incredibly grateful to have people like him here."