Why Swans must grasp their window of opportunity over the coming days...
There are just 10 days remaining in the summer transfer window as the August 9 deadline draws every nearer.
For Swansea City, with just three new arrivals – all of whom are teenagers – this off-season, that time is going to have to be utilised highly effectively if new manager Graham Potter is to have the tools at his disposal to be competitive in the Championship.
Time is very much of the essence given the relative inactivity in terms of incomings.
There are other clubs who have made few additions in a window complicated by its earlier closing date and a World Cup in the midst of it.
But there is a pressing need for deals to be done, particularly when you consider the players Swansea could still lose and the lack of options in several positions.
Here, we assess how the Swans squad is shaping up with the season and transfer deadline looming on the horizon...
Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Erwin Mulder, Gregor Zabret, Steven Benda
THE loss of Lukasz Fabianski means Kristoffer Nordfeldt would appear to be in line to be Swansea’s number one, although his occasional hesitancy with the ball at his feet may prove an issue as Potter looks to revamp the playing style.
Mulder has not been seen in meaningful competitive action, while Benda is seen as one for the future after an impressive end to last season with the Under-23s.
It may not be essential at this stage, but it’s hard to avoid the feeling Swansea could do with an additional option in this position.
Swansea had been linked with Danny Ward, but the Wales international has since left Liverpool to join Leicester, and Red Star Belgrade’s Milan Borjan.
Connor Roberts, Kyle Naughton, Martin Olsson, Matt Grimes, Aaron Lewis
LEFT-BACK was an area of concern last season with Martin Olsson having no competition in the senior squad and his performances suffering as a result. Matt Grimes gamely stepped into the role on tour but Swansea simply have to bring in a left-back. Failing to do so after the issue it presented last season would be a considerable, glaring oversight.
At right-back, Connor Roberts’ emergence has been a big plus with the club ready to listen to offers for Kyle Naughton. Again, though, there is a big question mark over depth behind Roberts.
Swansea have been mentioned in dispatches as being in the hunt for Yeovil’s Tom James, Aberdeen’s Scott McKenna and Werder Bremen’s Robert Bauer. The latter has since joined Nurnberg on loan.
Jordi Amat, Mike van der Hoorn, Federico Fernandez, Alfie Mawson, Joe Rodon, Cian Harries
WITH the current line-up you would say Swansea are set fair for centrehalves, but that does not tell the whole story.
Alfie Mawson looks all set to sign for Fulham after a summer of speculation about his next move.
Fernandez is also the subject of interest from FC Krasnodar and a handful of other clubs meaning his future is far from certain having publicly admitted he wants to be playing top-flight football.
Remove that pair and you have Amat – who had seemed surplus to requirements 12 months ago – and Van der Hoorn, who only became a regular starter under Carlos Carvalhal.
Joe Rodon and Cian Harries are highly thought of and should see first-team involvement at some stage this season, but their relative lack of experience means reinforcements will be necessary when Mawson goes and if Fernandez does likewise in the coming days.
Tom Carroll, Jay Fulton, Leroy Fer, Sam Clucas, Matt Grimes, Adnan Maric
SWANSEA were overloaded in this area last term, now they look worrying short of options.
Fer and Clucas are injured and will miss the start of the season, while Grimes appears to have been pressed into makeshift left-back duties.
That leaves Fulton and Carroll as the only senior options with the former back from a mixed loan spell at Wigan and the latter trying to rediscover some form and confidence after his difficulties last term.
Swansea desperately need some additional depth and quality in the middle of the park, and they have been linked with Liverpool’s Pedro Chirivella and Dundee’s Glen Kamara.
Yan Dhanda, George Byers
SELLING Gylfi Sigurdsson to Everton left Swansea without a genuine senior attacking midfielder and it is a gap that has still not been filled at the time of writing.
New signing Yan Dhanda has made a promising start to life at Swansea, and it was a pity that injury prevented Under-23 star George Byers from being part of the tour of Germany and Austria.
They are talented young players, but asking them to get Swansea through the rigours of a 46-game Championship season will be a big ask given their lack of first-team experience.
Joel Asoro, Jefferson Montero, Luciano Narsingh, Wayne Routledge, Nathan Dyer, Daniel James,
SWANSEA are well-stocked in terms of numbers and new signing Joel Asoro and the returning Jefferson Montero had a number of bright moments during the pre-season tour, as did Daniel James.
Wayne Routledge, Nathan Dyer and Luciano Narsingh have plenty of experience but have not produced with much consistency over recent seasons and Swansea’s imminent acquisition of Manchester City’s Bersant Celina and Forest’s Barrie McKay suggests at least one of the trio could yet be on the way out.
Oli McBurnie, Jordan Ayew, Wilfried Bony
WITH Andre Ayew and Borja Baston out on loan, Jordan Ayew expected to leave and the club attempting to shift Wilfried Bony, Swansea could find themselves facing a real headache in this area.
McBurnie has been handed a three-year deal and the chance to make a first-team role his own following his impressive stint in the Under-23s and on loan at Barnsley. It’s a chance he deserves.