Premier League 2017-18: Ranking the transfer windows of all 20 teams
By James Dudko
7. Swansea
Notable Ins: Renato Sanches, Wilfried Bony, Roque Mesa, Sam Clucas
Notable Outs: Fernando Llorente, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Jack Cork
Swansea manager Paul Clement used smart scouting and his connections in the game to refresh a midfield grown stale in recent seasons. The highlight of the refresh was the eye-catching deal to snag Renato Sanches on loan from Bayern Munich.
Clement, a former assistant to Carlo Ancelotti at Bayern, used his club knowledge to land a precocious talent with terrific upside. Sanches struggled in Munich last season, failing to register a goal or an assist, per WhoScored.com, but he’s still highly regarded.
He’s only 20 and plays with the power and technique to be a huge asset for the Swans.
Sanches joins Roque Mesa, the club’s record buy, as well as Sam Clucas, in a new-look midfield. Clucas is another touted playmaker.
What prevents the Swans from ranking higher is the quality of some of the players they lost. The money Everton paid for Gylfi Sigurdsson was too good to turn down, but the Iceland international was still a creative maestro with a keen eye for a pass and keener instincts for goal.
Jack Cork was allowed to go to Burnley, despite his accomplished technique on the ball.
Yet Swansea’s most damning loss might prove to be Fernando Llorente. The Basque target man’s aerial prowess and scoring touch will be missed after he completed a move to Tottenham, per the club.
The Swans did bring back Wilfried Bony for £12 million, according to Sam Morshead of MailOnline. But the 28-year-old hasn’t been prolific in front of goal since, well, the last time he was at Swansea.
A good summer window has left Swansea stronger in midfield, but lacking in the players capable of finishing off the moves Sanches, Mesa and Clucas will conjure.