Charlton boss Lee Bowyer has claimed that Swansea City were interested in signing Wales defender Tom Lockyer this summer.
The former Bristol Rovers centre-back was a free agent following the end of his contract with the Gas, and had offers on the table.
Addicks manager Bowyer says Swansea were one of the interested parties and revealed what he said to the 24-year-old to lure him to The Valley ahead of the Liberty.
“He has been one of our most steady players – up there with Josh Cullen,” Bowyer told LondonNewsOnline . “You know what you are getting – steady, solid and he won’t let you down.
“Swansea wanted him but it was about selling this club to him. I told him: 'Come here and improve, everyone who comes to this club has improved. Trust in what we’re telling you, take it on board and you’ll get better'.
“The biggest challenges for him were the Wigan and Fulham games because he is not the biggest and he had the physical tests of Kieffer Moore and (Aleksandar) Mitrovic. I know he is very comfortable in possession but he also came through the physical side flying as well.
“He and Jonny (Williams) have both got back into the Wales team and they fully deserve it.”
Williams, too, was on Swansea's radar over the summer months after his contract with Crystal Palace expired; head coach Steve Cooper recently acknowledged the links with the Wales attacker but stressed he was unaware of any concrete interest.
Swansea were indeed in the market for a central defender, though, eventually bringing in Ben Wilmot from Watford on loan for the season to provide cover for first-choice pairing Mike van der Hoorn and Joe Rodon.
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