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Brendan Rodgers is set to break Swansea hearts again by making Gylfi Sigurdsson his first Liverpool signing.

When the Ulsterman quit last Thursday to take up the dream offer of a three-year contract at Anfield, he assured Swans’ chairman Huw Jenkins that he had no plans to asset-strip his former team.

But the 12-month agreement which prevents Kop boss Rodgers from signing Swansea players does not cover Sigurdsson, the Icelandic international who spent the final four months of the season on-loan from German club Hoffenheim.

And Rodgers made it clear that he is ready to pounce – even though Swansea believed they had a £6.8million agreement in place to sign the 22-year-old permanently.

He said: “When I had a chat with Huw Jenkins the other day, after I told him I was going to Liverpool, I gave him assurances that I wouldn’t be going back for any ­players. My word still stands on that. But Gylfi came to Swansea because I was the manager there.

“I actually pushed Swansea towards making an agreement with Gylfi – and they eventually did that in terms of the fee and then the salary. But ultimately it’s now down to Gylfi.

“I have told Huw that if I speak to the kid, I will make sure he definitely goes down to Swansea and speaks to the new manager, whoever that is.

“But if Gylfi is not comfortable with that and he comes back on to the market then I have to be interested.”

Rodgers has promised that the men already at Anfield will be given the opportunity to prove themselves – including Joe Cole.

He added: “I’ll take time to assess all the players – including Joe Cole.

“Joe is a multi-talented player and a good guy as well.

“I know him from my time at Chelsea.

“It hasn’t worked for him at Liverpool, but he has gone over to Lille and done reasonably well.”