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Wells linked with move to Swansea

Nahki Wells (File photograph)

Nahki Wells could be headed back for another stint in the Sky Bet Championship having been linked with a potential move to Swansea City.

According to English media reports, Swansea are interested in signing Burnley’s Bermudian striker who spent last season on loan at Championship side Queens Park Rangers, scoring nine goals in 48 appearances.

The Welsh club are in search of attacking reinforcements following the sale of Oli McBurnie to Sheffield United, with Wells having been flagged as a potential target to replace him.

The 29-year-old has been linked with the very same club that he made local football history playing against six years ago during a stint for Bradford City.

Wells became the first Bermudian to play in a major English cup final during League Two outfit Bradford’s heavy 5-0 loss against then Premier League side Swansea in the 2013 League Cup final at Wembley Stadium.

The former Dandy Town player scored 42 goals in 91 appearances for Bradford before making more local football history as Bermuda’s first million-pound player after joining Championship side Huddersfield Town for £1.62 million in 2014.

Wells hit the ground running at Huddersfield after coming on as a second-half substitute and scoring the winner in a 1-0 home victory against Millwall, less than 24 hours after joining the club.

He ended his first full season with Huddersfield as the club’s top scorer with 14 goals and all told scored 49 goals in 153 appearances during a 2½ half-year stay at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Wells helped Huddersfield gain promotion to the Premier League during the 2016-17 season, but left the club in the final year of his contract after signing a three-year deal with Burnley for £5 million in August 2017.

He has yet to start a match since joining Burnley, making just ten substitute appearances for the Lancashire side and is now facing an uncertain future at Turf Moor.

Wells admits he has been frustrated by his lack of opportunities under manager Sean Dyche and still believes he has plenty to offer.

“I’d still love my opportunity in the Premier League, which is still possible, of course,” he said.

“The ideal scenario would be just to be given a chance; a chance that I can try and really grasp.

“That’s my agenda but whether that’s the manager’s agenda, who knows?

“I just need a little bit of luck at that football club [Burnley]; I haven’t any luck since I’ve been there. I’ve been a bit unfortunate, but that’s football sometimes.”

Regardless of where his future lies, Wells believes the next season will be crucial in terms of re-establishing his stuttering career after being unhappy with his goal return while at QPR.

“I’ve got a big point to prove,” he added. “There’s some uncertainty regarding my future; that’s obvious and I just know it’s a big, big season for me.

“The desire is there show everyone I’m still a proven goalscorer and that level.”

Wells came on as a late substitute in Burnley’s 6-1 win over French Ligue 1 side Nice in a preseason friendly last Tuesday.

It was his first outing during preseason for the Premier League side, coming on for Chris Wood in the 82nd minute.

The striker only returned to training two weeks ago, having been on international duty for Bermuda at the Concacaf Gold Cup, where he scored twice, a penalty in a 2-1 defeat to Costa Rica and a header in a 2-0 win against Nicaragua.