Swansea City are approaching the final days of the summer transfer window, with the deadline set for Tuesday night. The club are still looking to sign a new midfielder, while injury concerns over Cameron Burgess and Ben Cabango have added urgency to their search for centre-back reinforcements.
Can Swansea keep three strikers happy?
It is looking increasingly likely that Zan Vipotnik will remain at Swansea beyond the close of the window. Keeping the Championship's top scorer from last season would be a boost for boss Vitor Matos, but it also presents a potential headache.
Adam Idah followed his goalscoring cameo at Stoke City with a promising performance against Sheffield United, though he seldom looked like doubling his tally. The Republic of Ireland international will feel well placed to cement his status as first choice, but Ross Stewart has also arrived with significant Championship pedigree.
Few sides in the division will have such a strong stock of strikers, but the challenge will be keeping them all happy. Matos has been asked about this on several occasions and appears relaxed, viewing his options as a positive rather than an obstacle.
“There's a lot of games to come, a lot of competitions to participate in, and I think having a squad with depth in all positions is quite important for us,” he said recently. “It's something that we felt last season in some moments was a little bit tricky. I remember when I was sitting here in December and everyone asked why we only have Zan Vipotnik as a striker and I needed I think maybe three press conferences to try to justify that. Now I'm justifying the opposite. I think it's important to have that depth and then trying to squeeze the best out of the squad.”
What next for Bianchini?
It has not worked out for the winger at Swansea. A difficult first season was followed by a torrid loan spell at Portsmouth, although injuries did not help. Bianchini has recently appeared for the under-21s and does not appear to be in the first-team picture under Matos, who suggested last week a move might be the best next step.
“I think it is important for him to find a place where he feels the value of his football,” Matos said. “I think things will be more clear when the window is closed. Then we see what happens and if he leaves the club. If that doesn't happen, then we need to speak and see what is the best.”
The Swans are likely to listen to offers in the coming days, but finding a buyer may be complicated. Swansea spent around £2m to bring him in a couple of years ago, and he still has two years left on his deal, which may make a permanent exit difficult.
Are other players for sale?
Not officially. Matos has insisted Zeidane Inoussa is still part of his first-team plans, despite not featuring in any of Swansea's three competitive games this season. However, given the newfound depth in wide areas, a suitable offer might be considered.
The same can be said to a lesser extent of Ronald, who racked up 10 goal contributions last season but is likely to be further down the pecking order this campaign. He has been linked with moves away, with Premier League Coventry City among those mentioned, as well as sides in his native Brazil.
The one player Swansea certainly won't entertain an offer for lightly is Josh Tymon. The former Stoke City man is arguably one of the best left-backs in the division, and his form over the last couple of years has not gone unnoticed. It would take something enormous to tempt Swansea into considering a sale this summer.
Could Swansea dip into the loan market?
So far, Swansea have made just one loan signing in young left-back Tiago Parente, suggesting a change of approach. Last summer saw the Swans land four players on loan, but it seems unlikely they'll reach that figure this time around.
It represents a change of tack to previous windows, where Swansea were often accused of relying too heavily on temporary deals. Permanent deals are clearly preferred, but this is traditionally the time when Premier League sides make decisions over their brightest young players and whether they will go out to gain experience elsewhere.
Whether Swansea will move for an option late on remains to be seen, but it's an eventuality no one can rule out at this stage.
