SWANSEA City failed in an audacious bid to sign £5 million Manchester City striker Felipe Caicedo ahead of Tuesday's transfer deadline.

The Evening Post understands that megamoney City had agreed to loan their Ecuador international frontman to Swansea for a season with a view to a permanent deal.

Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers even got as far as holding talks with Caicedo, who would have been a remarkable addition to the club's attacking arsenal.

But Caicedo, who has 27 caps, was also attracting interest from around Europe after a proposed move to West Ham fell through last month.

And Swansea's hopes of pulling off what would have been a spectacular transfer coup were dashed when Caicedo signed a season-long loan deal with Spanish top-flight side Levante.

The fact that Swansea even got close to landing the 21-year-old is further evidence of Rodgers's impressive contacts.

The former Chelsea reserve-team manager is well connected at Eastlands having come close to joining Roberto Mancini's backroom staff earlier this summer.

And that link almost saw Swansea recruiting a player who City paid £5.2 million rising to £7 million for back in 2008.

Signed from Swiss side FC Basel by Sven-Goran Eriksson, Caicedo has made only a limited impact in Manchester, scoring four goals in 27 appearances.

A powerfully built forward with pace, he spent the first part of last season on loan with Sporting Lisbon before a successful loan stint playing in La Liga for Malaga.

Having helped keep them up, Caicedo is back in Spain with newly promoted Levante.

After his West Ham move fell through at the last minute, the 6ft 1in star also attracted attention from Turkish giants Fenerbahce.

Rodgers had been optimistic of doing a deal for Caicedo after Swansea were priced out of moves for Danny Graham and Tamas Priskin.

Another target, Leroy Lita, was told he could not leave by current club Middlesbrough despite being on the fringe of the first team at the Riverside.

Rodgers must now restart his search for attacking reinforcements when the emergency loan window opens on September 7.

He has not given up hope of signing West Ham's Frank Nouble, but he has made it clear that he also wants a more experienced player.

Meanwhile, Francisco Sandaza, the Dundee United striker who had been linked with Swansea, yesterday signed a one-year deal with Brighton.

gareth.vincent@swwmedia.co.uk