MICHAEL Laudrup will stay on at Swansea City next season - providing Huw Jenkins pledges to deliver the players he wants.
The Evening Post understands Laudrup has made it clear to Swansea's owners that he feels there is a need to invest heavily in the club's playing staff this summer.
The Dane's top priority is to add firepower to his frontline and he is targeting St Etienne's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Wigan striker Arouna Kone, Celta Vigo frontman Iago Aspas and Chelsea starlet Romelu Lukaku.
Laudrup, wwho is attracting interest from a host of clubs, has stated repeatedly that it is his intention to remain as Swansea boss next year and he signed a 12-month contract extension in the spring which ties him to the Liberty till the summer of 2015.
However, it seems that concerns have arisen in the Laudrup camp about how Swansea will bolster their playing staff ahead of the impending Europa League campaign.
Laudrup has just masterminded what almost certainly goes down as Swansea's finest ever season and he has made it clear that, in his opinion, expectations must be raised ahead of 2013-14.
Swansea broke their transfer record twice last August to sign Ki Sung-Yueng and then Pablo Hernandez, but Laudrup thinks more major spending is required if his side are to build on the successes in the Premier League and the Capital One Cup.
It is believed he wants at least two new centre forwards and despite links with Kenwyne Jones in January, he is not interested in the Stoke target man.
He is keen on Aubameyang, the Gabon international who has scored 19 goals in 36 French Ligue 1 games last season and has also been linked with a number of other Premier League clubs including Tottenham and Newcastle.
Another player in his sights is Kone, who impressed for Roberto Martinez's Wigan side this season despite their relegation, scoring 13 goals in 38 appearences after signing from Levante last summer. And Laudrup has previously spelt out his admiration for both Aspas and Lukaku.
Aubameyang, Kone and Aspas will all command major transfer fees, while Chelsea could demand a sizeable loan fee for Lukaku if they opt to send the Belgian international for another temporary stint away from Stamford Bridge next season.
The big question now may be whether Swansea's board will sanction moves for such high-calibre players.
