Phil Sumbler
Last night’s news that the Swans were in talks with released Stoke forward Tyrese Campbell just added another name to a summer of transfer activity that is certainly being done far more behind closed doors than in recent years.
It may be exceptionally boring for us as fans to realise but the club have blocked most of the leaks that have not necessarily hampered previous transfer activity but certainly previous windows have seen the names of those targeted released into the public domain far earlier than we have seen this summer so far.
You also have to factor in that the Swans are not just keeping their cards close to their chest but they are proving that their net is cast wide when they are looking for players as it is fair to say that the names of Gonçalo Franco and Ji-Sung Eom were nowhere near the radar of fans when the season closed last time around or even, in fairness, probably until 24 hours (or less) before the transfer was confirmed as a done deal.
This week’s capture of Zan Vipotnik would have been another name although you have to credit the Swans for this move as it was certainly taking advantage of a situation presented rather than the culmination of completing a deal for a long term target. Either way you just have to give credit for these moves and the way that they have gone about securing them, there is much to be admired for that particular part of the process.
None of us know at the moment if these three signings will work for us although the optimism is clearly high but we proceed on that particular path with the same view that many (most) believed that last summer’s transfer activity was good when the window closed. Of course there is a big difference between the signings that will be pointed to and it does feel as if the chances of these being successful are higher but we can judge that better when the new season is a few weeks old.
Add to that Lawrence Vigouroux signing and potentially even Campbell and you have what almost feels like a structured approach to transfers that will have several of our Championship rivals looking at the way we have approached the window and wondering if it is a better approach than the one that they have taken. On that front only time will tell.
I’ve been writing on this particular website (in it’s many guises) for almost 25 years now and have covered many windows (and transfer deadline days before that) but this has been the first real window where news coming out of the club has been plentiful and vocal. One of the things that Andy Coleman said (ironically that leaked out) when he arrived at Swansea was that he wanted to plug the leaks from the club and that is certainly something that he has achieved if this window is anything to go by.
Of course news of each of the signings has been in the public domain before they have happened but in all cases not long before and you would assume on that basis that in those occasions it has been with the consent of the club given the fact that announcements were soon after – that tells you that at the time of release the discussions and progression has gone down the line of pretty much being a completed deal with even the traditional photo call having been completed before it reaches the public domain.
The lack of speculation on potential signings can easily be interpreted as a lack of activity (and I am sure that in some instances that has been a criticism with substance) but what is clear is that we have been active in the summer and we are putting together a squad that is certainly giving increasing cause for optimism. Although has referenced earlier we proceed very much with caution on the optimism scale.
In a week’s time the Swans first team sheet of the season will be handed to the officials an hour before we kick off at Middlesbrough and then the work will start on how we judge the season. It is a tough start to the campaign for certain as far as we are concerned but it certainly would not surprise us if we had two more names into the squad before that season starts and then we assume the scattering of loan signings before the window closes.
It is at that point that the time to really judge the work of the window starts but there is much credit to be given at the moment and that is where we are right now. Even if that credit is just for the way that we have done our business for now.
