Swansea City Transfer Plans: Window Opens, Chief Scout Steps In
Swansea City Transfer Plans as Window Opens

The summer transfer window is now officially open, and Swansea City will be hoping for further incomings over the coming weeks.

The Swans have already completed the free signing of centre-back Stephen Welsh, although he won't confirm his move to south Wales until he's released by current club Celtic at the end of the month.

There is, of course, the small matter of Swansea's sporting director, which at the time of writing is continuing to drag on.

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It's understood chief scout Jay Lefevre is currently overseeing the club's recruitment plans in the meantime, with a number of targets already identified.

There could well be a few outgoings too, with a couple of stars already the subject of speculation.

Incomings

The club have already addressed one of their key priorities this summer in snapping up Welsh, having previously identified a centre-back option as a top item on their shopping list.

But there are several other areas ripe for strengthening.

A left-back to cover for Josh Tymon is clearly a priority following Ishe Samuels-Smith's return to parent club Chelsea.

The club are understood to be keen on a young, athletic option to come in. But given any new arrival would likely be second choice behind Tymon, who is arguably one of Swansea's most important players, it could be a tricky position to recruit for.

Elsewhere, the club are keen on strengthening their options out wide, and are looking to land two wingers capable of pushing for regular first team football next season.

The lack of goal contributions from wide areas was viewed as a key weakness last season, and offering more threat down both flanks is clearly a key priority.

Whether the club look to strengthen in other positions remains to be seen.

Links with Leyton Orient striker Dom Ballard have re-emerged recently, along with a couple of other forward options.

However, unless the Swans move anyone on, it's tricky to see where a new striker would fit in at this stage.

The Swans have also shown tentative interest in defensive midfielder Archie Collins, who has caught the eye of nearly every club in the Championship, and is now a free agent after leaving Peterborough United.

At this stage, however, it doesn't look like an area that's near the top of Swansea's priorities.

Outgoings

Much of the talk around outgoings will centre around one man this summer.

Zan Vipotnik's sensational season earned him both a Golden Boot and the attention of several admirers, a couple of whom may well look to test the waters in the next few weeks.

West Ham United have been keeping tabs ever since January, along with a couple of clubs in Italy, while Benfica have also asked about his situation.

Portuguese giants Sporting, as well as Toulouse and Brighton have also all been linked recently, but Swansea are unlikely to be tempted to cash in unless they receive what Vitor Matos referred to as "proper money".

Swansea put a £15m price tag on the striker in January, but given Vipotnik has since signed a new deal that will keep him with the club for the next four years, there's every chance his value will have climbed higher than that this summer.

Another player attracting speculation is midfielder Ethan Galbraith.

The Northern Irishman has enjoyed a hugely successful first season in the Championship since joining from Leyton Orient, and is already a key player for the Swans.

So much so, the club had looked to tie him down to a new and extended deal, perhaps emboldened by the successful negotiations with Vipotnik.

However, the offer put to Galbraith was well below the figure earned by the club's top earners, and was swiftly rejected.

At the time of writing, negotiations have reached something of an impasse, and that has opened the door for speculation over his future.

Wrexham and West Ham are among those monitoring the situation, but as things stand Swansea appear to have little interest in selling, particularly given Galbraith has two years left to run on his current deal with the option of another 12 months.

Whether someone looks to test Swansea's resolve with an offer remains to be seen.

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Meanwhile, should the club sign another winger or two, it may well open up questions around the futures of Eom Jisung and Ronald, the latter of whom has been linked with a surprise move to Premier League new boys Coventry City.

One man that the Swans may well look to actively move on is centre-back Ricardo Santos.

The former Bolton Wanderers man came close to joining Reading back in January, only for the move to fall through at the eleventh hour.

While he has since been included in a few matchday squads towards the end of the last campaign, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him moved on before the start of the season.

There's still some uncertainty around Joel Ward too, with the club revealing recently that talks were under way over a potential new deal. However, there hasn't yet been any sign of an agreement.

A few of the youngsters will likely be shipped out on loan. Forward Thomas Woodward picked up his senior Swans debut on the final day of the season, but a stint away might well be seen as the next best step for his development.