Swansea City boss Brendan Rodgers is coy over interest in Middlesbrough defender Matthew Bates.

It is entirely conceivable that Swansea will go back in for a player they tried to sign in August, for they still need defensive cover and Bates's contract will have only six months to run come January.

"The speculation starts again," Rodgers told the South Wales Evening Post.

"He is a terrific young player, but he belongs to another club.

"We will have a number of targets between now and January and certainly there has been no work done on that one as of yet."