AS.com

Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup praised Michu as "the bargain of the season" after the Asturian forward scored as the Welsh side beat Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday in the first leg of the Capital One Cup semi-final and took a huge step towards reaching the final at Wembley.

"I would never expect a new player to come in and score so many goals but I can't say what expectation I had for Michu," said the Danish manager.

"What he is doing, in terms of goals, is incredible, particularly when you think he's never been a No 9. He's always been an offensive midfielder coming from deeper. But one chance, one goal today. That's incredible. You'd pay a lot of money for that."

But despite lavishing praise on Michu, Laudrup was keen to dismiss any talk that his star player would be leaving the club in the January transfer window, and said that only a small amount of teams in the world could afford him.

"I'm not the one putting the price tag on him," he said.

"We all know the situation, the economic situation in the world, so there aren't that many clubs who can buy him.

"'There are some here. In Spain there are only two. Italy, I don't think so. They're trying to sell. Bayern Munich in Germany... so only a few, few clubs.

"And Michu likes it here. He's happy where he is, so I'm really not afraid because I'm so sure he will stay with us for the next five or six months.

"I don't know how much he's worth. Ask my chairman. He was the bargain of the season, we know that."