The January 2026 Transfer Window Thread

[Nottinghillbilly]

With all due respect, many domestic players will take a pass on us strictly due to the distance from the major population centers in which they and their family/friends generally reside. This is not remotely a new one for the club in terms of domestic recruitment hurdles.

Foreign players, like all others, will generally be looking at similar competing offers when considering clubs. If there isn't much between the offers financially, would your contention be that the distance/time we are from a proper international airport doesn't matter to foreign players considering offers from, let's say, us and someone like Watford/QPR/West Brom or within/near their own country?

Was this not also a point of contention in the possible hiring of Kim Hellberg, or at least one the media reported on?

I get that the rest matter, but I think it's often too easy to overlook how important things like proximity to one's family/friends is to players. Players these days often have more of a choice where they end up than they previously did and the unfortunate reality is that, for most players, Swansea isn't a place to which they're itching to move. Certainly there are always exceptions.

With all due respect you missed the crucial bit about the 'Day In The Life Of' - the actual day to day experience of pro players. There is very little time for anything else, and when there is they jump in the limos.

Many many players/coaches are itching to come to Swansea, for all of the above reasons - heck even fussy Russy totally loved living here, living it up in Martin Morgan's Mansion overlooking Three Cliffs, and ofc Martin Morgan's Morgans living it up in Wind St !

The awful misnomer about us being the graveyard of ambition, is just that, in so many ways - which many Swans fans get beyond flustered about.

Quit the fluster, big-up the Offering.......

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[Nottinghillbilly]

I think you have missed my point. Unsurprisingly.

If a young player has ambitions to play at a high level (higher than us), those ambitions may be better served by playing in League 1 for 18 months rather than playing in our under 23s for 18 months with the odd appearance from the bench if we have injuries. Simple as that.

Players who make too big a step too quickly are at risk of becoming lost for a few years before eventually being loaned back out or transferred to a lower club. Those that step up more gradually tend to be able to test themselves at a higher level (initially) which can aid their development.

And Stevenage happen to have particularly good training facilities for a club of their size although that is besides the point in the case.

Yet again you seem to get stuck in the weeds, the micro stuff. And miss the big stuff (clearly a mere classic bookkeeper vs strategic thinker)

You need to think more strategically, see the bigger macro picture.

Focus on your last para (above) - far too many folk like you are far too keen and far too quick to slag off our Club, without thinking it through. Think about the 'Day in The Life Of' our players/coaches; think about our draw to players who know our heritage and our unique Offering.

Too many 'ol disgruntled types way behind our elevating curve right now: new owners, new $ investment, new best in class senior leadership team, new wide' n deep squad, new elite level coaching team, new transformational change efforts, new comms team.......

It's time some of our tired ol' laggards keep up with the ongoing massive change agenda

Far too much negativity targeted at our Club's best endeavors nowadays.

Some posters need to take a step back, pause and think, before posting their usual twp, lazy spiteful narrative

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[crazedbison]

With all due respect you missed the crucial bit about the 'Day In The Life Of' - the actual day to day experience of pro players. There is very little time for anything else, and when there is they jump in the limos.

Many many players/coaches are itching to come to Swansea, for all of the above reasons - heck even fussy Russy totally loved living here, living it up in Martin Morgan's Mansion overlooking Three Cliffs, and ofc Martin Morgan's Morgans living it up in Wind St !

The awful misnomer about us being the graveyard of ambition, is just that, in so many ways - which many Swans fans get beyond flustered about.

Quit the fluster, big-up the Offering.......

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I did?

I would think, if I take your point about how busy the pro players’ life might be, that the extra travel time to their home, either domestically or abroad, would be of far more import than whether they can walk their dog on a beach.

Also, given that many foreign players are also members of their national team, this travel time to an international airport is doubly important. Imagine adding on the extra travel for every international break.

Certainly there are those for whom the location and the area are selling points, but you’re deluded if you think the area and the club in general are more of a net positive to prospective players than a net negative. Generally speaking, the area and club need to be sold to prospects. Perhaps the club a bit less so, but the previous owners were surely not helping in that regard.