A profile of Swansea target Franco Di Santo

With a move heavily rumoured, how did the ex-Wigan frontman perform last season?

"Franco Di Santo? Him by 'ere"

Following on from yesterday's blog where I had a look at Di Santo's performance in general over the last few seasons, let's now look a little closer at the Argentinian striker's game. With Lita and Moore both seemingly free to find another club, the Swans would be left with Bony, Michu and Rory Donnelly as the only registered forwards (and Michu's inclusion in that list would no doubt gall the Spaniard), so you'd hope that if he is to come in, he'd improve the overall calibre of our front-line.

Last season he played 35 games in the league (24 starts), scoring 5 goals and nabbing two assists. Not the most auspicious start for a striker, so let's move on. When I've been discussing the merits of Di Santo coming in with other Swansea fans, the general consensus has actually been more positive than I'd have imagined; he's clearly not your "out and out striker" and his ability to hold up play has been cited more than once as something which could be useful to the Swans - but do the stats support this? His pass completion is 72.8% (averaging 17.2 passes per game) which when compared with Luke Moore (79.9% completion and 10.2 passes per game) doesn't actually hold up that well. Pun not intended.

Furthermore, from 4 starts and 11 sub appearances Moore managed to grab 3 goals and 2 assists - is Di Santo really any better? The former Chelsea man is dispossessed 1.3 times per game and gives the ball away another 1.6 - Moore weighs in with 0.3 and 0.4 respectively so it would seem that the ball retention argument isn't actually that sound. Ok, Moore has a smaller amount of average game time but it shouldn't produce a disparity as marked as that displayed so far. He averages 1.9 shots per game, with his 5 goals coming from a total of 65 shots - far from clinical and that gives him a conversion rate of 13%. 

He does manage 0.9 key passes per game, which is more than all but 5 Swansea players averaged last term (Ki, Pablo, Routledge, Michu & JDG), so he's clearly got an eye for a pass, but the problem seems to be holding on to the ball long enough to do anything with it, and when you consider he only attempts a dribble once every other game it doesn't seem he's even trying to do anything particularly spectacular. Defensively, 0.6 tackles per game dwarfs the 0.1 managed by Moore, but when you put it alongside the 1.3 managed by Michu it doesn't look that great. I remember Alan Shearer talking about goalscorers once, and he said "Scoring goals hurts", implying that you don't magically appear for tap-ins; you produce your own luck by busting a gut for 90 minutes every time you take the field. 

All in all, not that encouraging really. As has often been the case with the Swans, however, judging a player based on performances at another club could well be fool-hardy. We're seeing more and more cases of "if the shoe fits" and Swansea seems to be turning into somewhere technical footballers can legitimately hope to revitalise their careers if they've seen them stutter elsewhere. Let's hope that, if he does make a switch to SA1, we'll be saying exactly that about Di Santo in a year's time. 

Swansea linked with Franco Di Santo

Goal-shy striker could be brought in as backup for Bony



Franco Di Santo



The latest name to be linked with the Swans is ex-Chelsea youngster Di Santo, who's spent the last few seasons oop North in Wigan. The inspiration from this blog came from reading an article on footballfancast.com, which interestingly called him both a "former PL player" and "a star". Both of those statements are fairly tenuous given current goings on, but you can chew them apart at your leisure. The main point I wanted to look at was their assertation that Di Santo had earned himself cult status at the DW thanks to goal-scoring exploits which helped save the club from relegation (a few seasons ago).

I didn't really remember that happening (which is by no means proof it didn't; there are lots of things I manage to miss), so I had a quick look at matches he participated in to see if there was anything in this.

After a spell at Chelsea as a youngster (where he scored a prolific amount of goals for the reserve team) he made a few sub appearances before being shipped out to Blackburn on loan, where despite a decent start he fell out of favour. In fairness, he'd slipped out of the starting XI based on a lack of goals, so it wasn't like he was being particularly mis-treated, and after a full year on loan at Ewood Park he signed for Wigan for £2million.

In his first full year at Wigan, he played 29 games and scored only one goal. Given that goal was one of two scored by Wigan in a 4-2 loss to Sunderland, it doesn't seem it was 2010/11 he saved the club from relegation! Next!...

So, 11/12 then. Bingo. He got off the mark early in the season with two deflected goals against QPR, before a consolation goal against Everton preceeded one of two Wigan goals in a 2-1 win away at Sunderland on the 26th of November. That was his last goal for 5 months, as his next strike came in a 2-1 win away at Arsenal on the 16th of April, before he also managed to bag himself one in a 4-0 win over Newcastle, and another in a 3-2 win over Wolves on the final day of the season, giving him 7 in 33 overall that campaign.

Hardly the stuff of legends, surely? No-one can take away his contribution to the Latics, however I suspect that if indeed he is a club legend up there, it's because they were particularly short on suitable candidates.

Last season was more of the same really. 5 goals in 33 games really doesn't convince me that he'd be worth bringing in, but as I've said before if he is brought in he'd have my backing. I don't think he's a bad player necessarily, and psycohology can play a huge part in striker's going on scoring sprees. You don't score as many goals at youth/reserve level as he has without possessing the quality, and hopefully if he does arrive it'll be the spark he needs to rediscover his goalscoring touch. Because let's be honest, he needs to....

Garry Monk hands captain's armband to Ashley Williams

Ex-Southampton centre-back will continue as club captain, with Ash becoming matchday captain

News broke yesterday that Swansea stalwart Garry Monk has handed the armband on to his younger central-defensive counterpart due to his view that the regular matchday skipper should be nailed on to start every week; and by Monk's own admission he's been in and out of the side over the last season or two. 

The decision can't have come lightly, and it's an idea which will have been bouncing around inside his head for a while now. As most will know, Monk has been club club captain for almost a decade, but in recent times when he hasn't been selected to play Williams would instead take the armband, but from now on the captain of Wales will also be the permanent matchday captain of the Swans too:

Monk, Williams & Dwight Tiendalli challenge for the ball

"I just feel it's the right time now - it is a difficult decision. It's probably been one of my proudest things - if not the proudest thing - I've had to do with Swansea City. I know we've had promotions and cups, but it's definitely up there to have captained this club for so long. It's been a real honour.Continue reading the main story“"If the manager thinks I'm wrong then I'll have to listen to the manager won't I? But that's my gut feeling anyway. I'm still going to be club captain but - this is how I personally look at it, I haven't spoken to the manager or Ash himself - I just feel from my experience as captain, that should be the person [Ash]. 

"The continuity should be there, someone that's been there week in week out, which has been Ashley. Obviously when I've not played he wears the captain's armband; I just feel that should continue even when I am playing. It's a decision from myself, things won't change, apart from the armband. 

"Off the pitch I'll be the same, even on the pitch when I'm playing I'll still be a leader and it's just a case of I think Ash deserves to lead the team out week after week. My duties as club captain won't change. I'll still be doing the stuff off the pitch with the boys and in the community representing the club. 

"I proved last season and the season before, I haven't played as regularly as I would have liked, but I've still contributed a number of games and when I've played I think I've done pretty well - That's all I can ask of myself, make sure that I'm fit, ready, look after myself and when called upon to do it right. I've done that so far, so I can't have any complaints with myself. 

"If I couldn't compete at this level, if I was slacking off and feeling physically not right then I'd hold my hand up, I'm honest enough to do that, but I think I've proved the last couple of seasons in the Premiership that when I've played, I've more than competed with some of the top strikers. 

"I probably feel even stronger this pre-season, I feel sharp, I've looked after myself through the summer and I feel fit." Garry Monk

It says something about the man that he's been captain now for about 8 years under five different managers - there aren't many players who could enjoy that kind of longevity, and Monk will go down in history as one of, if not Swansea's most successful captain ever. Despite giving up the matchday armband, it looks like Garry will be hanging around SA1 for some time yet, and boy he's earned the right.

Swans complete Dutch tour with a 1-0 win over Den Haag,while Shelvey is hoping to force his way into international reckoning

First half Wayne Routledge goal enough to see off our Dutch "sister-club"

The Swans celebrate Wayne Routledge's goal

Swansea today played out a 1-0 win over ADO Den Haag, a club with whom we've forged a strong bond thanks, mostly, to the efforts of director John Van Zweden. The Swans again changed the team more or less completely at half time, but trusty old Gerhard Tremmel completed 90 minutes. Whether this is to be viewed as an indication he's being considered for more of a no1 role, or an appeasement for being relegated to the bench again soon you can't say.

It was hard to tell from the stream I viewed the game on, but it appeared to me that Ki finished the game playing at centre-back? If anyone who was at the game could confirm this it'd be great, as given he played there in the Carling Cup final it's possible Laudrup is thinking he can mould the languid Korean into a ball-playing centre-back. In terms of distribution, players like David Luiz would have nothing on Ki. The game was also notable for Wilfried Bony making his Swansea debut, and he looked lively from the off when he was brought on for the second half. A couple of neat twists and turns saw him twice threaten, but the Den Haag keeper was up to anything the Ivorian could produce on this occasion. 

A particular highlight for me though was how confident Jazz Richards seemed. Some regular game-time at Palace last season, coupled with a few words which indicated he'd be seeing first-team action this season seem to have given him the boost he needed, and it looks like he intends to take the opportunity with both hands. At one point he was faced up against two Den Haag players right on the touch-line, and produced a couple of neat touches which saw him beat them both in succession, before being fouled by the latter defender - Jazz got up unscathed, but his assailant required medical attention. It's possible he's the hardest player in the Swans' squad, but he just doesn't know it yet.

Shelvey hoping regular game-time in SA1 will help him gain further international honours

Whenever any Swansea player of English descent starts talking about being called up for the national team, I can't help but feel sorry for them as historically SA1 has been ignored by Roy Hodgson. He has been seen here, however you can't help but feel he was here to watch the opposition as "The Swansea Way" isn't a very good fit with good old English 4-4-2...or even with the convoluted 4-5-1 they sometimes play in a strange effort to accommodate both Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.

That being said, Shelvey is clearly someone viewed by the English powers that be as an up-and-coming prospect, and that alone could pave the way for other Swansea players, who so far have been ignored, to be in with a shout of making the national team. When questioned about the possibility of future international appearances whilst in SA1, Shelvey reacted positively:

“That’s the hope. If I do play every week I hope my performances will get recognised international-wise. 

“It was an exciting time to get my debut, not just for me but for my family as well. It’s every English kid’s dream to play for England, and then to do it at Wembley as well was magnificent. The aim is to get more. I didn’t realise I could be the first Swansea player to play for England. 

“If I can make a little bit of history that would be great because I do feel if I get the chance to play every week here I feel I can get myself into the England squad, but I am still in the under-21s and I have still got another two years at that level so I am biding my time. 

“I just want to get playing week-in, week-out, and it didn’t come into my thinking that when I came here it might harm my chances. First and foremost it was about getting back to playing football and finding my feet at a club again. 

“Later on down the line, if you are putting the performances in, I am sure Roy Hodgson will not be bothered about who you play for. Look at Ryan Shawcross at Stoke - you’d say they are not a massive club but he got his chance with England, so I don’t think it will affect me.” Jonjo Shelvey

While I do really like the fact that on paper we have just signed a full England international there is an elephant in the room; Shelvey has played once for England and it was against San Marino. Now, I don't mean to take anything away from the player as he featured in the U21 Championships this summer (a campaign always doomed from the off with Stuart Pearce in charge), however at this juncture I'd say it's so harsh on a player such as Leon Britton that Shelvey has a full international cap and the Swansea legend doesn't. 

Britton excelled in the Premiership in his first season, and in any other country I'm convinced he'd have been rewarded with an international appearance by now, but that he hasn't (and Shelvey has) says more about the way international selection works in England. As mentioned above, we can only hope (for Jonjo's sake and our own) that his performances are of a calibre which demands international attention, as it will ultimately be of benefit to the team as much as to the player himself.

Tate, Augustien, Obeng, Lita & Moore transfer listed as Swans look to make room in squad

Quintet likely to be heading to pastures new as Laudrup looks to streamline the roster of players available to him

In what could probably be viewed as the first wave of departures from the Liberty since promotion to the Premiership (the odd player sale excluded), it seems we're set to say goodbye to one player in particular who's worn his heart on his sleeve for the entire of his spell in SA1.

Still aged only 30, there's a distinct possibility that Alan Tate will continue to play football at, at least, Championship level. He equipped himself well during our rise through the divisions and despite some (overly) harsh words from fans at times I thought he was excellent - and I include his performances at left-back into that. Ok, when up against certain tricky wingers he struggled, but what right-footed emergency left back wouldn't?

Sadly, it seems the time has come where Laudrup thinks we need to be looking above and beyond players of Tate's standing, and we can only hope he'll still receive a testimonial at some point. Laudrup indicated his decision to transfer-list certain players won't necessarily have been a shock to them:

“Some of them were spoken to in April; Tate and Bartley knew we wanted to bring in a different type of centre-back. We want someone who can play a little higher with more speed and they both said they didn’t want to be fourth or fifth choice here.

“With the forwards [Moore & Lita], even if we went into pre-season without new strikers, I wouldn’t have brought them. I wanted them to have the time to find another club instead of coming here just to wait before we signed someone.”

In what can only be described as a wonderfully subtle soundbite, Laudrup also indicated it wasn't necessarily just footballing reasons which have led to Kemy Augustien being shown the door:

“There were a lot of things with Kemy last season and it’s best for him that he finds a new environment and tries to play a little more regularly.”

That's being kind. 36 (I think?) points on his driving license for a series of offences, and going out on the piss with the club's arch-rivals less than 48 hours before he could realistically have been expecting to play a Premier League game? Not the conduct you'd expect from someone being paid many thousands of pounds a week to play football.

In regards to ongoing speculation as to the club's remaining transfer targets (Huddersfield's Jack Hunt in particular), the Dane was typically coy:

“You could ask a lot of names. So many players are linked and when they go to another place it’s because they turned us down when we never wanted them. If I signed just half of those linked we would have a squad of 36.” Michael Laudrup

While we don't want to become overloaded, these are exceptionally exciting times. It seems we're in the market for more or less anyone who'd improve the overall calibre of the squad, and why not? Assuming (and why wouldn't you?) that we can easily afford all of these transfers, it's really pleasing to see the club pursuing transfer targets with a vengeance. Who knows, we may yet see another quality acquision or two before the end of the summer.

Bony officially signs!

Ivorian ace finally pens 4-year deal, while the Swans are reported to be talking to Esteban Granero & Wakaso Mubarak

Well it's finally official! The club's website has been in overdrive the last few days; posting updates of the tour and interviews with new signings, so it's understandable that it took over 24 hours after photos emerged of Bony in Swans attire for his signature to be announced on the club website. This is likely due to the fact that the deal was originally agreed verbally, so no doubt the club were erring on the side of caution in regards to announcing a club-record-breaking transfer.

One thing to note is that whilst playing for Sparta Prague, Bony finished top scorer of the Europa League - bagging nine goals in the process, and having another crack at European competition is clearly something which he's looking forward to;

"This move has been talked about for quite some time, so I am delighted it is all completed. Now it is important that I focus my mind on the challenge ahead because I hope to make the Swansea fans very happy.

“I watched Swansea a lot last season on TV. They have some good players and I like the way they play. I appreciate the style, which is similar to the Dutch way, and I think being at Swansea will help me develop as a player.

“I believe it’s the right step for me; the perfect move. I had a lot of offers from all across the world, including England, France, Ukraine, Russia and the UAE, but I chose Swansea because it is a good club with a corresponding style, a great manager and, of course, playing in the Premier League.

"I considered everything and Swansea came out on top. I had my best season last year at Vitesse with 36 goals in all competitions. It is going to be tougher in the Premier League to score goals, but I will try my best. Everything is possible.

"Now it is important that I focus my mind on the challenge ahead because I hope to make the Swansea fans very happy. The Europa League is my first focus - I enjoy playing in Europe and I'm used to it.

"I am looking forward to joining the training camp out here in Holland as a Swansea player and building up good communications with the team and coaching staff as quickly as possible." Wilfried Bony

Bony seems a powerful finisher very much in the mould of Didier Drogba, and that's a type of player we've been sadly missing in recent times. Michu did his best to address that problem, but he clearly didn't enjoy being battered by, normally, a pair of burly centre-backs and much prefers making late runs into the box - it's high time the Swans had a player capable of retaining possession up front, because to be honest since the departure of Jason Scotland we haven't really had a striker capable of both building play, and scoring lots of goals.

Here's something to whet your appetite...

Swansea in talks over Esteban Granero

This has been rumoured for quite a while, and it seems there's now something to this. His agent has been quoted by Skysports as saying Swansea is an "acceptable destination" for his client:

"The two clubs are talking about a transfer, it's true. Michael Laudrup knows him very well from their time at Getafe, where together they had a great UEFA Cup campaign.

"Swansea are also looking at many Spanish players and play in Europe next year, [so] the destination would be absolutely acceptable to Esteban."

In true impartial style, Skysports neglected to include the bit at the end where the agent said "...but his preferred destination is Italy" - but let's be honest why would you let some words affect a potential rumour?
Personally I think we're loaded up on midfielders now, and if he comes in surely someone else may be departing? Ki seemed out of favour at times last season, and I sincerely hope that he won't be a casualty of Laudrup "building a side in his own image".

Swans told to up their offer for Wakaso Mubarak

As mentioned a few days ago, it seems we're interested in bringing Espanyol winger Mubarak to the Liberty. While it seems we were originally offering a fee of around £3.5million, it looks like closer to £5million will now be required for the Swans to get their man. They didn't specify who it was who'd had a bid turned down, but it's widely believed to be Swansea City:

"We have received an offer from a European club but we will not sell on these terms." Espanyol director Jose Luis Morlanes

A full Ghanaian international, he's impressed for his country of late and has scored a few absolute screamers; notably this one: (I've linked it before but it deserves another watch - it's Villareal's third goal).

For less than £5million, if he can indeed compete at PL level that's a pretty decent bargain for an attacking winger. Let's be honest, I wouldn't spend that on Stewart Downing...

Swansea agree £12million deal for Wilfried Bony

The Swans smash their transfer record by verbally agreeing a deal which could reportedly rise by another million or two including add-ons

After what seems to have been an age it looks like we've finally got our man. We're still awaiting an announcement from either club regarding the move, however a picture of Bony with Huw has surfarced on Twitter:

Bony with Huw Jenkins and, I assume, Bony's representative

I'm sure that Huw, Laudrup and Bony himself will be keen to get on with things now, and with the Swans on tour in Holland it's worked out rather swimmingly. Hopefully he can join up with his new team-mates in the next 24 hours or so, but with the next friendly coming against NAC Breda tomorrow it's unlikely all the work permit gubbins will be tied up in time (although I have a feeling that wouldn't matter in a friendly?) for him to feature. A distinct possibility, however, is that he'll be available to line up against ADO Den Haag this coming Saturday, so we may not have to wait too long to see him in a Swansea shirt, as opposed to holding one...

Welcome to the club Wilfried! May your time here be goal-laden.

Swansea kick off their Dutch tour, while talk of Bony finalising a move intensifies

Swansea pick up wins in their first two friendlies as they look to get up to speed ahead of the new season

As suspected, I spent the entire weekend on the Brighton promenade, hawking the wares of my friend's clothing company, and as such I was unable to catch any of the sport. I didn't time that one too well to be honest, missing the Lions smashing Australia and Murray becoming the first British winner of Wimbledon in donkey's years, but in truth I spent more of my time wondering how the Swans had been getting on in Holland (and whether a certain striker had agreed terms). 

They kicked off their pre-season shenanigans with a match against FC Gravenzande - very much an amateur side and the Swans seemed to take their time about things, using the game to get up to speed and get their passing game going. The game was a bit of a dead rubber, but finished 2-0 to the Welsh side thanks to goals from Ki Sung-Yueng & Pablo Hernandez. The Spaniard was pleased to get off the mark so early on in pre-season:

"Considering it was our first game, we enjoyed good possession.It wasn't easy because we are not 100 per cent fit. It's always better to win, but more important for us now is the hard work we do to ensure we start next month 100 per cent fit and ready. 

"Obviously I am happy to score in the first game, but the goal is secondary to me. It's the work that comes first." Pablo Hernandez

The game saw the inclusion of many of the club's new signings, as did the second game - against Excelsior - who despite supposedly being a class above the Swans' previous Dutch opponents took a bit of a pasting 5-1, with the goals coming from Lamah, Donnelly, Pozuelo, Gorre & Dyer. Good to see some different names popping up on the score sheet, but notable for me was how much Ki seemed to be getting forward. Is it possible he's trying to make a point in pre-season? With attacking midfield options secured in Pozuelo & Shelvey, it's imperative he sticks his head above the parapet in the next few games if he's any hope of figuring in a more advanced mifield role this season.

Another player who's hoping to force his way into the first-team reckoning is Jazz Richards, who's spoken to the official site regarding his plans for the new season:

"I went on loan to gain experience and get some game-time so you can return and push for a spot in the team. Obviously Angel is going strong and doing very well, but I hope to be a part of things this season. I don't know if I will go out on loan again, but you never know what can happen during pre-season. 

"Just look at Ben [Davies]; he was among the best players we had in pre-season last year, and he went on to have a great season. When Tayls got injured, Ben went straight in because he had a great pre-season and was fit, sharp and ready. 

"That's what it is all about. You go into pre-season, get your fitness in and show the manager what you can do. Then it's up to the manager. So that's what I'm hoping to do." Jazz Richards

Personally I thought he did very well when he featured for us in the PL, and as a right-back I think he could have a good future at the club. With youth on his side, he's got plenty of time to add a bit of defensive savvy to his name, and with a decent first touch, good passing ability and a great engine he's a tidy player to have kicking around the squad. While it seems Tiendalli won't be retained (which is a shame as he was excellent for us) I think Jazz will seize this opportunity with both hands and we'll see more of him this year.

Swansea expected to finalise £13million deal for Wilfried Bony

It looks like it's finally happening. Fingers crossed, touch wood and all manner of other superstitious sayings are no doubt being rolled out across South Wales as Huw & co try to iron out the creases in what would be a record signing for the Swans, and a record fee received for Vitesse. The transfer is believed to be over £10million up front, with £13million being the top end fee if all add-on's come to fruition, and it's a real, real statement of intent from the Swansea board.

"Until it is signed we cannot speak about an agreement, but there are only a few details now. We want it done by lunchtime [Monday] or so. We have the last few details to sort with his representative, but that won't be a problem. 

"He will have his medical in Holland before joining up with the team." HuwaJenkins speaking to Dutch paper De Telegraaf

Quite a few people were sniping cynically for weeks and weeks about how the lack of ambition in the transfer market could cost the Swans dearly, however in pursuing Bony they've shown that (if they believe the player is right for the Swans) they have no problem spending money to get him. One thing that can't be said of other clubs too, is that as fans we know that if we're bidding £13million, it's because we can damn well afford it. How much remains in the Liberty coffers remains to be seen, but with around £20million spent (assuming the Bony deal goes through) hoping for further big-money signings may be futile.

Of all the strikers we've been linked with this summer, Wilfried Bony seems to be the one that excites the fans, and his goal return also far exceeds that of any of the others too. Stay tuned as it seems we could be hearing something imminently - but then again, we have been hearing that all weekend...

Swansea sign Jonjo Shelvey for £5million

Former Charlton midfielder joins from Liverpool on a 4-year deal

Well, it's a good thing I didn't post anything on my site at lunchtime, as was originally the plan. When I heard this was going through today I wasn't amazingly enthused, shall we say, but more so purely because of the price. If it was two, perhaps three million then I could understand it, but five? It still seems a really steep fee, but I've had time to calm down now and in the cold light of day, he's 21, looked tidy on occasion for Liverpool (with Europa League experience to boot) and he is British, something which is quite important given FA regulations and the growing continental contingent in the Swansea squad.

Quite a few people have said that his performances waned as the season wore on last year, and that it started when he was dropped for the first time, but it is easy to forget how young he is. Kyle Bartley is a year older, and is going out on loan to get first team experience - Shelvey has a couple of seasons for Charlton under his belt as well as well as a few for Liverpool now, and he made ten appearances in Europe last year. 

You get the feeling, too, that he's been signed for one main reason - his willingness to shoot. The guy does have a cannon and it's often said that sometimes the Swans fail to make anything of prolonged periods of

Shelvey getting stuck into Jonny Evans.

time spent in the opposition area. That was less of a problem last year, granted, however we can still improve in that respect and it's likely Shelvey will be asked to help take the goal burden off Michu, as well as any other striker we sign (if any...gulp).

We've signed him now, so I'm behind him and the board. They know better than I do, and if they think he's worth £5million who am I to say otherwise? Who knows, we could look back at this as an amazing bit of business in a few years. 

Swansea sign Betis midfielder Pozuelo, plus youngsters Zabret & Gogic

Trio of signatures announced while rumours persist of a big money bid for Jonjo Shelvey

One of the more low-key stories of the transfer window so far was that Swansea were looking to sign Alejandro Pozuelo from Real Betis, after his contract (kind of) came to an end. Betis disputed this (they had an automatic one year extension they felt he'd triggered) but in the end he got his way as long as the Swans paid around £500k, and so we've picked up a once-highly-rated midfielder for next to nothing.  

Pozuelo can play as an attacking midfielder or a striker, and will add another option to the Swans forward line. A tricky operator (read an in depth profile of him here), he lost his way at Betis but hopefully with a few positive influences around him in the Swans dressing room we'll see the best of him. For a player who was once linked with Barcelona and Manchester United, half a million could prove to be a real bargain.

Youngsters Zabret & Gogic sign on

As previously mentioned, the Swans had taken Slovenian 17-year-old goalkeeper Gregor Zabret on trial in January, and he's now chosen to sign a deal with the Swans, knocking back offers from Sporting Lisbon and West Brom. How times have changed. He's played quite a few games for NK Domzale who finished 3rd in the Slovenian league last season, so he's already had a lot of game time for someone his age, and hopefully he can kick on and prove to be an astute acquisition.

Midfielder Gogic, 19, signed from Olympiakos and no fee was mentioned on the official site. A fairly thorough search online only tells me what we already know from the club statement (that he's a Cyprus U21 international) and this one's going to have to be a case of "the proof is in the pudding" as no-one seems to know much about the kid. Good luck to both of them as they look to embark on a new chapter in their careers.

Swansea have £6million bid for Shelvey accepted, according to The Guardian & The Telegraph

Wow. So, at present (if true), Jonjo Shelvey could be our new record signing. I have to say, I'm really not up for that. The guy cost Liverpool £1.7million, and from what I've seen has done nothing to indicate he's now worth more than that, so for his price to more than triple seems frankly ludicrous. If we were signing him for £2million, or even on loan, I'd have much less of a problem with this, but unless he's been deliberately playing badly for Liverpool there's no way he justifies that transfer fee. Yesterday I put together a statistical profile of him (read it here) with the hope of convincing myself he's a rough diamond, however if anything it just reinforced my belief he's not worth the money.

Whether there's any truth in this we'll have to wait and see, but as WalesOnline pointed out it's widely accepted Shelvey was turned down as part of the Joe Allen transfer when offered in part exchange, so to now be throwing money at him seems daft. One saving grace is that Crystal Palace are also in for him, so hopefully he'll recognise he's more likely to gain regular playing time in London than in South Wales. There is the possibility that, with Allen costing £15million on top of the money agreed for Rodgers and his backroom staff, Liverpool still owe us a chunk of cash which they're hoping to cancel out by selling us Shelvey. Even if true, I still don't think that makes sense. Pozuelo cost £500k, for chrissake!

As I've stated often of late though, what do I know? I'm just a fan, and I could well go on to be eating my words as Shelvey turns into the new Frank Lampard...

A profile of Swans target Jonjo Shelvey

With Swans supremo Huw Jenkins confirming the club are involved in talks with Liverpool regarding the acquisition of the one-cap England midfielder, how does he compare to the Swansea midfielders?

Jonjo Shelvey looking chuffed to be
involved with the England squad

This is a bit of a mad one isn't it? Most fans seem a bit perplexed, but there are those who rate the Liverpool central midfielder, so I thought I'd have a look at some stats from last season to see how he squares up. Worth mentioning is at this point in time, Jonjo Shelvey has an England cap and Leon Britton doesn't. The world is messed up sometimes.

Aged 21 (he's not 22 until February), Shelvey started his career at Charlton Athletic and made his debut aged 16, becoming the youngest player in the club's history (replacing Paul Konchesky in the history books), before also becoming their youngest ever goalscorer in an FA Cup match against Norwich, just before his 17th birthday. He went on to make 47 appearances for Charlton, scoring 8 goals, before he drew the attention of (amongst others) Liverpool who signed him for around £1.7million. He made 15 appearances for the club (although many were off the bench) in his first season at Anfield, but his starts included a full 90 minutes on his debut in the Europa League, along with other high-profile games.

The following season he found himself loaned out to Blackpool, where in all fairness he did really well - scoring 6 goals in 10 games (including his first senior hat-trick in a 5-0 win away at Elland Road), before being recalled by Liverpool due to an injury crisis. He made a further 16 appearances that season (2011/12) which brings us up to date, so now let's have a look at last season.

He made 33 appearances in all competitions, but for ease of comparison I'll only use PL statistics unless otherwise mentioned. He completed 81.7% of his passes (389/476 in total), giving him an average of 25.1 per game. For a Brendan Rodgers team, that is mental. Does he avoid the ball on purpose? Not the best start. He only plays 0.7 key passes per game, and 2.1 accurate long balls, so passing really doesn't seem to be the thing to look at if I'm to convince myself he's worth the rumoured £5million that's been mentioned.

He makes 1.2 tackles per game (about the same as De Guzman and Ki), and only makes 0.3 interceptions per game, and 0.6 clearances. Ok, he only started 9 games in the league (with a further ten games as a sub) but the stats pale in comparison when compared to any Swansea midfielder. It seems he may be a bit confused as to what job he's supposed to do in the team, because he doesn't seem to be carrying out any role particularly effectively.

In the Championship for Blackpool, and whilst playing for Charlton earlier in his career, he seemed something akin to a Frank Lampard - a midfielder who'd charge into the box before smashing one into the top corner, but it hasn't really happened yet for him in the Premier League - despite hitting a screamer against Chelsea (although it was a screamer into an empty net, so I'm not as enthused about that one as some people seem). Worth a watch though is this goal he scored for Liverpool U21's against Man Utd's.

Offensively, last season he scored one goal and got no assists. He loses the ball 0.7 times a game through poor touches etc, and is dispossessed with the same frequency, while he only attempts 0.2 dribbles a game - so it seems he's mugged in possession quite a lot. He does manage 1.8 shots per game (35 in total) - which given a lot of his appearances have been as a sub (and he only scored once) would seem to indicate he's not that great at hitting the target either. I haven't got stats for shots on target, so shoot me.

It's only fair to mention that his stats for European football are a lot better - pass completion rate of 87.5% and 45.6 passes per game - what's up with that? He also managed 1.6 key passes per game and scored 4 goals, getting an assist for good measure - all of this from just 4 starts and 3 sub appearances. Mad.

Actually, I've just checked and 3 of those goals were literally scored against Young Boys. I could score 3 goals against young boys!

Nonsense aside, I'm still not convinced he's worth the kind of money that's being talked about. I saw an interesting idea on SCFC2.co.uk guestbook earlier, where someone was wondering if perhaps Liverpool still owe us some money for the acquisition of Rodgers, Allen etc? It would make sense given the huge sums involved, and would possibly account for why we're in for him, as Huw does love a bargain. 

£5million? Willing to be proven wrong, but I just don't see it right now. 

Leon Britton approaching full fitness after hernia op

Midfielder back in full training, but faces increased competition for places ahead of next season

After playing through the pain barrier for his beloved Swansea City, Leon Britton was back working in the gym three weeks ago when most of his contemporaries were sunning themselves in various far-flung locations around the globe. 

After suffering from a double hernia (which was, apparently, only minor) Britton underwent surgery in Germany which was so precise and advanced he was able to walk following the procedure, and only a few weeks later he feels he's getting back to his best ahead of pre-season kicking off this week. 

“I had the operation three-and-a-half weeks ago in Germany, done by a lady over there who is world renowned. It went well and literally six days later I was back on the training ground working on building up the muscles around the area where it’s been repaired. 

“I’ve been in training for the last two weeks really and on the training pitch the last three days, running, twisting and turning like we’d normally do. I’m pretty much fully fit.”  Leon Britton

One aspect of Swansea's summer that hasn't been given much attention thus far, however, is the increased competition for places any central midfielder will face in SA1 this year. 

In signing Canas and re-signing JDG, straight away we have four dedicated central midfielders (along with Leon and Ki) but yet rumours persist that we're also involved in discussions over Jonjo Shelvey, something Huw Jenkins confirmed in the Evening Post this morning. Honestly? I'm really not enthused about the prospect of spending several millions pounds on Shelvey, having never seen him play well, however I'm no expert so what do I know.

Actually, what I do know is that if, as reported, we sign a striker then one of the three midfield berths will likely be occupied by Michu for large swathes of the season, adding increased competition for the remaining places, and when you consider Alejandro Pozuelo is also heavily rumoured to be finalising a move to the Liberty, things are starting to look a little overloaded in the middle of the park. Don't forget we're also prone to playing with three wingers, so there's not even a guarantee that if Michu isn't at CAM there'll be a traditional central midfielder occupying that position on the field - competition indeed. 

It seems likely that Kemy Augustien has had one chance too many at the Swans, and after years of wishing him well I'd no have no problem with seeing him move on. He's struggled with injury but more importantly it seems his discipline isn't quite there, and any "professional athlete" who goes out drinking with the club's biggest rivals less than 48 hours before a match he could well be playing in doesn't get my vote.

One thing is for sure, it's going to be hard to predict the makeup of our engine-room this season. 

Ben Davies: "Ash is worth £10million", Amat explains why he signed & the Swans to drop interest in Wilfried Bony?

First up today is Ben Davies chipping in with his tuppence worth on the protracted rumour surrounding Ashley Williams' future. It's been reported for months that Arsenal and Liverpool are interested in signing the Welsh captain, however it seems neither club are even remotely interested in meeting the Swans' valuation, believed to be around the £10million mark.

Davies alongside skipper Ashley Williams

When you're a club the size of Arsenal or Liverpool (or any other club with CL aspirations, for that matter), you have to expect to be paying these kinds of prices for established Premier League players. Ash just finished his second PL season, drawing plaudits from all corners while helping his team to (another) improved league finish, along with their first ever major silverware.

He helped secure Europa League football for next season, so to me if Arsene Wenger wants Ash, he wants him because he believes he can compete in the Champions League and he'll have to pay the going rate to do that. Name another established first-choice Premier League centre-back who you'd back to compete in the CL, who you could pick up for less than £10million? I don't think that's an exorbitant fee, and Ben Davies clearly agrees:

"Last season I would say Ash was one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League, I cannot think of many who were better than him. The job he did was incredible.. 

"A price of £10m or more to sign him is completel justified. You see some of the money that gets spent in this league on players who are unproven in the Premier League. I think £10m is more than a fair price. 

"Ash gave me a lot of confidence on the pitch and the transition from Swansea to playing for Wales was made a lot easier as I played with him every week. He is a great player and a great captain, he is always there to talk to, and if you have to say something he is happy to take it." Ben Davies

Jordi Amat - "Swansea style the reason I signed"

The latest in an ever expanding procession of Conquistadors to make their way to SA1, Amat adds to an already healthy Spanish contingent, and acknowledges that with numerous countrymen already at the club making the switch to the Liberty was an easy decision to make:

This picture of Amat was worth including
purely for the kit he's wearing. Epic.

"I think I can settle into the club straightaway, especially as we have Spanish players here already. I know Pablo Hernandez and Michu already, while Chico and Angel Rangel are very important players here. I also played against Jose Canas last season in La Liga, so I know a lot about him, but it's not just that, or the fact Michael Laudrup is manager, it is the way in which the club play. The style here is perfect for me — it is the way I play. 

"I am very happy to join Swansea. One of my dreams has been to play in the Premier League, and I can do that here. I am very grateful to the chairman and Michael Laudrup for giving me this opportunity and showing a lot of faith in me. My target now is to repay their faith and do everything I can to help the team. 

"I watched Swansea last season — what the club achieved was incredible. To finish in the top half of the Premier League and win a trophy is a massive achievement. In Spain, Swansea are very famous now. They talk a lot about the club and how they have become a successful team in the Premier League with an attractive style of play. 

"The club has a great set-up — the stadium is lovely and I know it's full every game, and I can't wait to run out in front of the supporters for the first time."      Jordi Amat

When Jose Canas came out with similar comments regarding the Swans, it was greeted (outside SA1 at least) with a small amount of mirth, given that the more hirsute of the two recently arrived Spaniards claimed Swansea were "the most famous team in Spain". While I don't think we could go that far, it's unlikely there's any kind of corroborated charm offensive being utilised by the Swans in terms of pitching the club to Spanish players, so it's likely they're not just making this up, and we are developing more of a following in Spain. Nothing wrong with that, and it'll only be of benefit to the club both financially, through increased shirt and merchandise sales, and in terms of how easy it is to attract players to the club in future.

Swansea to drop interest in Wilfried Bony?

With Huw Jenkins having gone on record as expecting to hear something regarding the Swans' bid for the Ivorian before the weekend was over, it seems the Swans' chief is losing patience with his current club, Vitesse Arnhem. It's believed the Swans have tabled a bid worth around £10million plus add-ons, and when the Swans put that kind of money on the line I can't imagine they'd be willing to hang around too long waiting for an answer. Huw knows that he can't, and won't be drawn into a bidding war, and while I don't feel we can rule out this deal being completed just yet it's more than possible we're now looking at other options in terms of a new striker.

Nacer Chadli. Tricky.

There've been two names which have appeared in the last 48 hours. First, Christian Benitez (once of Birmingham - remember him?) - the Ecuadorian has excelled for Club America in Mexico over the last couple of seasons and has reportedly drawn interest from Tottenham, amongst others. I'd say it'd be very hard to draw any conclusions on a striker's efficiency by comparing the Mexican league to the Premier League, but if the club feel he's worth a bid they know a lot more than I do.

The other name which has been linked with the Swans in the last few hours is that of FC Twente striker Nacer Chadli. The 25-year-old Belgian scored 16 goals in 32 games (in all competitions) last season, and from what I'm reading he's very much in the Scott Sinclair mould - a tricky forward who operates on the left hand side, but is actually right footed. He's only 23, and would apparently cost slightly less than Bony at around £8.5million, however given Bony's scoring record it's hard not to feel like we're accepting second best if we miss out now. That being said, Chadli has been featuring for the Belgian side and given the wealth of talent they have in attack it's clear that the powers that be rate him highly.

One issue may be the reported interest of Aston Villa. With fellow countryman Christian Benteke enjoying such a prolific breakthrough season in the Midlands, it's possible Chadli will decide to opt for the Villains over the Swans. With information on Chadli scant, the best I can do is link a video from youtube:

The guy has clearly got technique in abundance and I've no doubt he'd be a good addition to the squad, but he definitely seems like more of a winger than an out and out striker. Is there anything in this one? We'll have to just wait and see...

New kit and sponsor: Verdict?

What kind of reaction has the much anticipated new strip garnered?

If we were giving the club marks out of ten for the way in which the new kit was released, they'd definitely be pushing for a 10 when it comes to creativity. They, for some reason, embarked on a Countdown-bonus-round-esque slow reveal, where each day a new section of the photo was exposed, and to be honest by the end most fans were pretty bored of it.

Over the last few weeks we've seen numerous rumours stating the sponsor was another gambling firm, or an Asian company (given our links with Ki), but news first broke that our new sponsor was Goldenway on Swansfc.com - top work, and they've clearly got better sources than I have! Reaction to the kit has been mixed. Some have deplored the colour scheme of the away kit, with "rhubarb and custard" being mentioned a couple of times on Twitter, while the main bone of contention seems to be, in all honesty, the effect the new sponsor has on the shirt.

Given that the Swans had severed ties early with the previous sponsors 32RED, and the subsequent mystery surrounding the new sponsor, it's hard to not be a little underwhelmed in that the new official club partner is a company that most of us have never heard of - GW FX - a trading firm who specialise in mineral and precious metal trading. While that's not necessarily a bad thing, their "About Us" section of the website is worth a read, as it's clearly been translated from another language. Apparently they are "deeply trusted" by the European market...

Something which will definitely have exacerbated any misgivings fans had of the kit is the fact that Adidas managed to mess up the kit order, and weren't able to deliver adult home shirts on time. They released a statement as follows:

"Adidas wishes to sincerely apologise to the club and all Swansea City fans. Unfortunately there has been a delay with the delivery of the new 2013/2014 adult home shirt and some items from the new 2013/14 Swansea City training wear range due to a situation which regrettably adidas has been unable to rectify in time for the scheduled launch.  

 "Adidas is immensely proud of our partnership with Swansea City Football Club and we are working extremely hard to ensure this situation is resolved quickly and efficiently. We would like to put on record how sorry we are for any inconvenience caused to the fans and the club by the delay in adidas delivering these items.    

New signing Jordi Amat with what seems
 to be the only adult home shirt in the city

"The revised launch date for the 2013/2014 adults home shirt and relevant items from the new 2013/14 Swansea City training wear range will be communicated to the fans via the club website as soon as possible."                                   Adidas statement

Leigh Dineen wasn't too impressed either:

“The club is extremely disappointed that our supporters have been let down at the last moment by adidas, but the matter was totally out of the club’s control after numerous guarantees received up until today. 

"We would like to apologise to our supporters and we are currently in discussion with adidas regarding a new delivery date for adult home shirts."
Swans' Vice-Chairman Leigh Dineen

Back to the sponsorship deal though, and it seems something may have gone awry here. The deal is for one year (although apparently both parties have options on extending that), and is worth £2million. Now, while that is massively more than any previous sponsorship deal we've signed, when you compare it to Fulham's sponsorship deal with FxPro it's only worth half what theirs is per year. With European football on the table, and with the Swans choosing to pay their way out of the 32RED deal, is it possible something big fell through at the last minute? This could also account for the kit being delivered late, in that if Adidas didn't know which sponsor to print onto it they can hardly ship it to SA1!

Either way, Goldenway are the new sponsor for next season and I'm sure no-one has any actual issue with that. After all, it's only a sodding football shirt...

Swansea hoping to learn more on Bony this weekend

Dutch media reporting Huw is getting tired of waiting for Vitesse to come back to us

The latest twist in the will-he-won't-he transfer saga that's currently surrounding Wilfried Bony is that Huw Jenkins is hoping to hear back from his Dutch counterparts before the weekend is over. It seems likely that Vitesse are now stalling in the hope of a bidding war emerging - if that does happen you feel that would almost certainly end the Swans' interest in the striker, given the lofty fee already being proposed.

You can hardly blame them for hanging on in the hope of maximising the deal, however when the player himself wants to come to Swansea then you can only stand in the way so long. For his part, the Ivorian is clearly keen to play his football in South Wales:

'The clubs are now talking to each other, Swansea has made Vitesse a bid and I hope it's good,' 

'Swansea is a wonderful club. It's my chance to play in the Premier League and they also play attractive football. 

'I understood from my agent that Swansea want to pay €12 million [£10.2m] for me and that is what Vitesse want to receive, so I hope there is some good news soon.' Wilfried Bony

Despite Swansea director John Van Zweden claiming that the club and the player were "way apart when it comes to agreeing on wages", it seems that Huw himself is still confident of agreeing a deal, even if the latest news from Holland seems to be he's growing tired of waiting for a response. Bearing in mind that has been translated using Google (sadly, Dutch isn't a language I'm fluent in), here's what Huw had to say on the matter:

"We have not the slightest progress. We've offered twelve million offered, plus on top of that different bonuses, but we are still waiting for a response from Vitesse. Hopefully they let us know something in the weekend"

So, if these latest quotes are to believed the fee is around 12million Euros plus, probably, add-ons in the form of sell-on clauses. This really is big money now! My gut instinct is that Bony himself won't be the problem - and that's also backed up by Huw (again, apologies for the translation):

"That is absolute nonsense. First, the clubs are out, then we talk only with the player on his salary. I can not imagine that this is going to be a problem.

"His style of football fits perfectly into our system. Bony is physically strong and very smart. He also has the right age and may continue to evolve. Finally - his character would fit well at Swansea. Bony really wants to come to our club."       Huw Jenkins

That's all rather encouraging, eh? Still a case of wait and see, but it seems we'll know something before the end of the weekend. If we don't, it could well be back to the drawing board as we search for a striker to relieve Michu of his goalscoring burden.

Swansea confirm De Guzman returning on loan next season

Club confirm Dutchman will spend 2013/14 in SA1

News has just broken that Jonathan De Guzman will indeed return for next season, which won't be a surprise to many given how he's spoken about the Swans in recent weeks. The Canadian-born Dutchman clearly enjoyed himself last year, and there've been numerous quotes where he's stated he was open to spending another season here.

Last week JDG had this to say:

“I had a great year at Swansea,The people around the club and the fans treated me well. It was not just the results we had; it was more about showing we can also compete with the big teams. We played better against the bigger teams. 

“We played well in a lot of games. We played good football and it’s refreshing playing in a team that has a good football mind. I’m very satisfied with what happened. We did very well, we were very creative.  

“We really put Swansea on the map.”  Jonathan De Guzman

He's also put a video online of his "review of 2012/13" - worth a watch;




I for one am happy to see him back for another season as he clearly fits into the way the team plays very well. I have previously stated that his performances dipped in the second half of the season, but that could also be said of a few other players and it's possibly harsh to criticise given how well the team did last year.

Huw Jenkins hinted that if things go well we may well end up signing him permanently:

“Everyone is happy the loan is continuing, then Jonathan will review his long-term future next summer.’" Huw Jenkins

A big welcome back to Jonathan, and hopefully this is just the latest in a series of announcements which sees top players committing to playing their football in SA1 next year. With the signatures of Jordi Amat & Jose Canas confirmed, and Alejandro Pozuelo & Wilfried Bony both rumoured to be close to signing, there could well be a lot more good news to report on in the next few days.

Stay tuned!

The Swans sign Jordi Amat, but there's still no agreement regarding Wilfried Bony

Skysports are also reporting we're close to agreeing terms with 17 year old Slovenian 'keeper Gregor Zabret

Coming as it did at a time when all the talk was of Wilfried Bony's much reported transfer to the Swans, Jordi Amat could be forgiven for feeling like the announcement of signature was somewhat underwhelming. Perhaps a better indication of the potential bargain the Swans have picked up is that his name was still trending on Twitter long into today. Whether that indicates a lot of people were talking about him or that it was a slow news days day we can't say.

If you'd like to read a bit more on Jordi Amat, I put together a profile HERE with a load of stats for your perusal. Something which is a lot easier to digest though is this; his only goal of the season last year.

While we can hardly expect him to do that kind of thing with any regularity, his stats suggest he's got an eye for a pass and can rival Ash when it comes to pinging one out to the wingers - that'll give us greater threat on the counter-attack and won't go unnoticed by the Swansea coaching staff.

Swansea close to signing Gregor Zabret

According to Skysports, the young Slovenian spent time with the Swans in January and is going to be finalising a deal over the weekend, before joining up with the club's pre-season tour of Holland. Honestly? I've never heard of the guy and there's scant information online, but I'll have a look at some point to see if I can dig up any information online. It seems he's highly rated, and he's already made quite a few appearances in the first team for NK Domzale, who finished third in the Slovenian league last year, so hopefully in time he'll turn out to be a useful addition to the squad.

No news regarding Bony move

The latest on this is likely to come down to whether you believe what you read on Twitter or not. Some sources are claiming he's asked for £80kpw in wages, which I struggle to believe, but Swans director John Van Zweden has been quoted in the Dutch press as saying the club and the player are "way apart" in terms of agreeing a deal at the moment. 

Hopefully they'll agree something, because with all the fanfare now surrounding this move it would be a real shame to miss out - and it's also possibly something which could leave fans panicking that the club will be short a striker come the beginning of the season. It's not panic stations just yet, but everyone knows the Swans need a frontman and if it comes down to the wire they may well find that clubs stick an extra few million on any proposed fee. 

Which probably means we won't end up signing anyone, thinking about it...

The day I met John Hartson!

Not quite "just another day at the office"...

So there I was, minding my own business in the corner spot I've come to like, when the door suddenly burst open. Normally, you can take that as a sign that Nev (I work for Save Britain Money - the business featured in BBC3's The Callcentre) has an announcement to make, but yesterday was different. In walks Nev flanked by none other than ex-Wales, Arsenal, Celtic, West Ham, Wimbledon, West Brom, Coventry & Luton striker John Hartson.

Now, normally I'm not one to jump at the opportunity to grab a photo with a celebrity, but given I run a website about the Swans, and John is born and bred Swansea City, it seemed too good an opportunity to pass up. 

I definitely have the best tie in the office.

It's such a shame that when his star was flying highest, the Swans weren't in a position to make him an offer given their lowly status in the lower reaches of the Football League. I did once hear that towards the end of his career a move had been mooted (under Martinez possibly?) however even if there was something in that it never came to anything. 

Since his battle with cancer, John has become increasingly involved in charity work and seems to be spending more and more of his time helping others who are less fortunate than ourselves. He's got his own charity - The John Hartson Foundation, and will shortly be climbing Ben Nevis to raise money for it - click the link to check out how to sponsor him, or even to register - although time is short!

One thing you have to say about John though, is that he's a good sport...

It's all gone a bit Friar Tuck...

Wilfried Bony set to sign for the Swans! (According to his agent)

Club are still yet to confirm deal, but agent claims a 12million Euro deal has been agreed

Wow. If this is true, I did not see this coming. Speaking to De Gelderlander, Bony's agent Francis Kacou has stated that Bony has agreed terms with the Swans, and will swap Holland for South Wales imminently.

I won't be the only person who is borderline flabbergasted that the Swans have stretched to a fee of this size, but if we're doing it you can guarantee it's because we can afford it. Heady times indeed. Here's a video of Bony in action last season, where he scored 31 goals in 30 games for Vitesse, finishing top scorer in the Eredivisie:

Seems the real deal eh? Hopefully we're getting a player who'll replicate the exploits of Ruud Van Nistelrooy as opposed to Alfonso Alves, but with a goals to game ratio exceeding that of any player I've come across in Europe this year I'm pretty confident we've signed a real star in Bony.

Since I posted this article, Vitesse have claimed that no agreement has been reached, but Wilfried Bony himself has broken his silence on the matter:

"The clubs are now talking to each other, Swansea has made Vitesse a bid and I hope it's good. Swansea is a wonderful club. It's my chance to play in the Premier League and they also play attractive football.

"I understood from my agent that Swansea want to pay €12 million for me and that is what Vitesse want to receive, so I hope there is some good news soon." Wilfried Bony

Well, that's encouraging isn't it? Hopefully it now won't be too long until we announce his signature...

Lee Trundle re-signs for the Swans!!

Ex-Swansea striker returns to club as an ambassador/academy coach

Well, last night I won't have been alone in flapping about my house, wondering what this "big news" was that we were to expect. Could it be that the relative calm of the last week would be shattered, and that Laudrup was off? Was it that the Swans were about to smash their transfer record? Would we announce a new sponsor today?

No.

In all honesty, and as much of a fan of LT10 as I am, the news didn't live up to the billing. As someone who is constantly looking for the needle of truth in a haystack of unsubstantiated rumour, stories like this really do frustrate! It would be all too easy for me to take every rumour from Twitter and other social media and regurgitate them, however A) I don't want to and B) Even if I did I wouldn't have the time. While Trundle's return to the club is very much a feelgood event, given recent media stories fans would have been forgiven for hoping for something a little more substantial in terms of news. 

For his part, Trundle is clearly (as you'd expect) chuffed to be back. His relationship with the Jack Army surpassed the bond he forged with any other group of supporters - and that wasn't just down to his longevity in SA1. Trundle scored 91 goals during his time here in 194 appearances, many of which will live long in the memory of Swansea fans. Seems like as good an excuse as any to watch a video of him in action...

I didn't watch that video all the way through, but for anyone who decided not to watch it (for whatever reason) it's really worth watching this one of his goal in the FA Trophy final at the Millenium Stadium...

Welcome back Lee! I've personally got some great memories of him terrorising defences in the lower leagues, so it's great to see him back at the club. He's no doubt looking forward to working with both the squad and the community, and he's the ideal man to foster good an even better relationship between the local populace and the club. He's also going to be working with the youth squads, and for any young player to have someone of his technical ability to learn from is a great opportunity to have. Let's just hope he doesn't take them out to Wind St too often...