Swansea City have just three more matches to play before the mayhem of the January transfer window begins.
The Swans face Coventry City, Reading and Watford in their final Championship fixtures of 2022, and they will then hope to get some business done in the opening month of next year.
Russell Martin has regularly held talks with chief executive Julian Winter, head of football operations Josh Marsh and director Jake Silverstein while he also met co-owner Jason Levien for the first time last week as the American attended the clash with Norwich City.
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It will come as no surprise to the Jack Army that the purse strings will remain tight for the upcoming window, but the upcoming games could further help to sway the owners when it comes to fully backing those on the ground at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Despite a run of six matches without victory, the Swans are just three points adrift of the play-off places ahead of the trip to Coventry. The owners have stated their desire to see the club return to the Premier League, and being firmly in the mix in mid-season will only improve head coach Martin's chances of being backed when it comes to bolstering his squad.
A right wing-back remains a key target, with Martin regularly shuffling his pack in that area this season given his lack of an Ethan Laird or a Cyrus Christie in his ranks.
Several other areas have and are continuing to be explored, and it remains to be seen whether there will be interest in their top assets such as Joel Piroe and Michael Obafemi.
Aston Villa's Morgan Sanson, Notts County's Macaulay Langstaff, Partick Thistle's Aiden McGinlay and Crystal Palace's Malcolm Ebiowei have all been linked, while former target Chiedozie Ogbene - who is out of contract at Rotherham United in the summer - could well become a realistic option, depending on if the Republic of Ireland international puts pen to paper on fresh terms with the Millers - a scenario that appears unlikely at present.
Prior to the Coventry game, Martin also spoke of having a succession plan - which includes possible cover for Ryan Manning and Joel Latibeaudiere who are yet to sign new deals with the club.
"We're well aware of what we feel we need to improve the performance of the team," he said. "We also have a succession plan in case we lose anyone or in case we don't agree contracts and that means we have to deal with a different scenario in January.
"We're really prepared I feel. Those discussions have been going on for a long time and they'll be going on until January.
"I'd really like us to work quickly in terms of what we want, but, again, January is really difficult, so we'll just have to see on that front. We have real clarity in what we feel we need to improve us and also we have real belief that we have the full support of Jake, Jason and Steve [Kaplan]. We've got real confidence that they'll help us out in January and hopefully improve the squad."
Exits certainly can't be ruled out, and Swansea are set to allow at least two fringe players leave next month. Brandon Cooper and Nathanael Ogbeta are expected to depart on loan for the remainder of the 2022/23 season having been unable to force their way into Martin's plans in SA1 while academy product Azeem Abdulai could also secure his first loan move away from the club in the New Year.
"Brandon and Nat will probably go and play some games," Martin told WalesOnline. "It's been a frustrating time for them so they'll probably go out and play.
"We've got interest in both at the minute so we'll just be assessing which ones are the best options for them and which one interests them and then with Josh and Julian, which ones fit the financial demands of the club."
Armstrong Oko-Flex and Fin Stevens have found regular game time hard to come by, particularly the latter. It remains possible that the pair are recalled by West Ham and Brentford respectively, although it's understood no decision has currently been made by the parent clubs while Swansea expect them to stay as things stand.
Indeed, Stevens has already played for both Brentford and Swansea this term, meaning he is unable to play elsewhere, although Oko-Flex's sole West Ham appearance came in the Europa Conference League, meaning he could play for another club this term should David Moyes end his Swansea loan prematurely.
January is often a frustrating and tense month for the Swansea faithful, and given the club's current financial position, the upcoming window is likely to follow those of recent years.
But a gem or two could significantly improve their top six hopes, and the final weeks of the current calendar year could be vital in tipping matters in their favour when it comes to the second-half of the campaign.
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