Swansea guns for Ike Uche

Swansea City could make a summer move for Villarreal striker Ikechukwu Uche, [football] direct news understands. The Swans are on the hunt for new signings upfront after finding themselves reliant on the goals of last summer's major purchase Wilfried Bony this season, with Spanish forward Michu also a big miss through injury for much of the campaign. With the Welsh side now confirmed as safe from relegation for this season with back-to-back wins in the Premier League, manager Garry Monk is already thought to be identifying possible transfer targets to strengthen his squad for next season. Uche has seemingly caught the eye with some strong performances in La Liga this season, and Swansea have been known for bringing in talent from the Spanish top flight before. The Nigerian international, 30, has scored 12 goals for Villarreal this season, despite not always being a regular starter, and he looks like a player who could be well suited to the physical demands of the Premier League. However, Uche has spent the vast majority of his career so far playing in Spain, having also represented Recreativo, Getafe and Zaragoza before moving to Villarreal in 2011.