Nine days to shape the future – what next for our wantaway trio?

There are now just nine days left to finalise our squad for the remainder of the season and a nine day period which will determine which players go into the final months as part of our squad.

Right now, there is still a possibility that the squad could include Michael Obafemi, Jamie Paterson and Morgan Whittaker although all roads point to the latter of those three names being a resident of Glasgow before the window closes.

The futures of Obafemi and Paterson seem less clear with Burnley’s interest in Obafemi seemingly cooled which will be more to do with their unstoppable march towards a Premier League return rather than the superb negotiation skills of the Swansea City board.

Paterson seems to have attracted little interest – even the move to Coventry seems to have quietened down and I guess again when you look at it that’s hardly surprising given his lack of form over the past twelve months since the first rumours surfaced of clubs having an interest in him.   Back then he was a player in form, right now he is a player not playing and that tends to have an impact on whether others want him at their club.

Whittaker looks set to be the subject of a third (and final) bid this week from North of the border which is surely one that the club will accept giving the player the move away that he seemingly desires.

Putting those three to one side though the biggest concern of the month to date is certainly the lack of incomings into the club.   We appear to have dallied (and stalled) over the signing of Chiedozie Ogbene this month to the level that the player continues to ply his trade for Rotherham with no move to SA1 in immediate sight.   It’s a move that the player is reported to want, it’s a move that Russell Martin is wanted to make happen so the lack of action is something you can draw your own conclusions over.

Outside of that, links are tenuous at best.  Occasional links to Premier League defenders on loan come and go but the reality is this squad will need at least three signings this window if we are to push on and more if some of those departures happen.

Many are wondering what is happening at the club.   It seemed in the first half of the season that the ownership group – supposedly spearheaded now by Jake Slverstein – would back Martin but that backing seems a little less public and forward now?   Have they looked at our previous record in the market and stalled in what they are ready to provide?  Or is the stock of the manager not as high as it was six months back?   Or is it as simple as there is no more funding available after the financial backing given over the previous two transfer windows?

The January transfer window is never a favourite of fans and managers alike.   Too often sides make last minute decisions which don’t necessarily help the strength of the squad and we are in danger of that becoming the case here this January.

The failure of Obafemi, Paterson and Whittaker to secure moves away so far this month has us on the back foot and still potentially waiting for moves out to decide what our action is on moves in.

The next nine days aren’t shaping up to be dull anyway.