Swansea City's next transfer move is set to be their most important yet

Wales Online

21-05-2025

Swansea City's next transfer move is set to be their most important yet
The Swans will likely need to be in the market for another striker this summer
Swansea are surely going to have to recruit another striker regardless of what happens with Zan Vipotnik
(Image: Anna Gowthorpe/REX/Shutterstock )
Swansea City's early moves in the transfer window have clearly helped to elevate the mood around SA1 heading in the summer.
The captures of Zeidane Inoussa and Bobby Wales, as well as the long-awaited arrival of Melker Widell, have left many wondering whether this new regime has learned the long overdue lessons that bubbled to the surface under their predecessors.
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The transfer window has traditionally been a frustrating time to be a Swans fan, but with three new faces now on board, there's a growing sense of optimism about what may lie ahead over the coming months.
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There is clearly still plenty of work ahead, of course, with several areas of the squad still in need of strengthening ahead of the new campaign. A centre-back, ideally two, is surely on the agenda even if Harry Darling decides to stay. A couple of full-backs to offer some meaningful competition for Josh Key and Josh Tymon is similarly important. Sign up to the Swansea City WhatsApp service to get breaking news and top stories sent to your phone
However, there's one pressing priority that arguably hasn't been adequately addressed for the best part of two years.
Many would make the point that Swansea haven't had an out-and-out goalscorer since Joel Piroe completed his move to Leeds United towards the end of the 2023 summer window, and their attempts to plug the gap left by the Dutchman ever since have so far fallen short.
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Jerry Yates had his moments, but lacked the predatory instincts to take his tally deep into double figures in his first season. Meanwhile, Mykola Kuharevich, despite a brief clamour, clearly wasn't deemed ready for the Championship.
Both spent last season out on loan at Derby County and Hibernian respectively, and it seems highly likely that the club will look to move both of them on this summer.
If there was any unease about letting the duo go this time last year, much of it dissipated on the back of the capture of Zan Vipotnik, who was snapped up from crisis club Bordeaux. Indeed, Swans chiefs were privately confident the Slovenian was the man to take on the mantle of Piroe's long-term replacement.
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It's not quite worked out like that, of course.
In his first season, the 23-year-old has managed just seven goals in 42 Championship appearances, and the fact there have already been whispers about his future at the club suggests the staunch level of support he's previously enjoyed from those behind the scenes, might now be starting to wane.
In his defence, making the step up to the Championship was never going to be easy, and there is perhaps an argument for allowing him a little more time to adapt to the rigours of this level.
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But even if he does manage to find his feet, there's still an argument for bringing another body in.
Liam Cullen, Swansea's top scorer last season, has proven to be very capable in the supporting striker role, having netted 11 goals, but has sometimes struggled when deployed as an out-and-out number nine and probably isn't suited to being the main man up front.
Florian Bianchini, meanwhile, has offered little to suggest he's capable of finding the net on a regular basis, and his sporadic appearances under Alan Sheehan towards the end of the campaign suggest he's another player the Swans may look to move on over the coming weeks.
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There is an important underlying point to remember in all this, of course.
Recruiting a number nine capable of scoring goals on a regular basis is traditionally the hardest proposition for any club at any level this time of year, and Swansea will likely be joined by most of the Championship in searching for the next Piroe this summer.
Much has been made of the data modelling brought to the table by Richard Montague, who has previously stressed the importance of finding players who have previously been undervalued or under the radar of others. Sign up to our Swansea City newsletter here.
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Finding Swansea's next goalscoring hero could well push Montague's expertise to the limit, but it's worth remembering he does have previous success in this area.
While at Notts County, he helped identify a young unknown striker from Gateshead named Macaulay Langstaff.
It turned out pretty well, with the striker netting an astonishing 41 goals in 47 appearances to help County get promoted back to League Two, where he would go on to score another 28 goals.
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Translating that success to the Championship, however, could well be more of a challenge.