Swansea City secured a 3-1 victory over Northampton Town in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday with Andre Ayew coming off the bench to score a second-half brace for the Championship side.

Ayew was making his first start for the club since returning from his loan spell at Fenerbahce last season, where he scored five goals in 38 games as the Turkish giants narrowly missed out on European qualification.

The forward is now back at the Liberty Stadium after arriving late to pre-season following Ghana's Africa Cup on Nations campaign, and he has been thrust straight into the first-team fold by Swansea boss Steve Cooper.

The fact he recently competed in AFCON meant Ayew did not need much time to get back to full fitness and he proved his quality when he came on with Swansea 1-0 down against the Cobblers and sparked a turnaround.

Many Swansea fans would not have expected to see Ayew for the club this season following the comments of club chairman Trevor Birch over the summer, where he claimed the Ghanian's wages were "crippling" the club.

The Swans may have made no secret over their desire to move Ayew on this summer in an attempt to balance the club's books, but this could prove to be a difficult task if the 29-year-old is earning big wages at the Liberty.

It is also not as if Ayew has done much to put himself in the shop window recently having failed to impress for Swansea following his return in January 2018, with this then coupled with a relatively underwhelming season in Turkey.

All this means Swansea could yet end up having Ayew on their books when other transfer windows close in early September. It does seems likely the club would rather have Ayew out of their way, but he could yet prove to be a key player for the club this season.

His two goals against Northampton reminded the club of his sharpness and goalscoring instinct, with his clear natural talent meaning he could be an asset for the Swans in the Championship. He would also offer an experienced presence in a youthful squad, which means he could have a huge influence for Cooper's side on and off the pitch.

Given the extortionate wages the club are said to be paying, it would not be logical for the Swans to freeze Ayew out of the side this season. If the forward is still at the Liberty when the window closes, it could be a big season for him in SA1.