These are your Swansea City headlines on Friday, May 20.
Swans 'closing in' on Arsenal starlet
Football Insider report that Swansea are in "advanced talks" to sign Arsenal youngster Remy Mitchell.
The teenager, who is out of contract with the Gunners this summer, is a goalkeeper. Swansea have seen Ben Hamer, along with three stoppers from the under-23s — Jamie Searle, Nico Defreitas-Hansen and Josh Gould — leave the club in the past 24 hours, and with question marks surrounding Steven Benda's future in south Wales, goalkeeper is definitely an area which needs addressing over the next few months.
Mitchell, the same publication state, has been on the radar of a number of clubs. The 18-year-old has had a packed season for the Londoners, making 25 under-18 Premier League appearances as well as featuring in the FA Youth Cup and making the bench for the under-23s in the EFL Trophy and Premier League 2.
READ MORE: Swans dismiss businessman's claims he is closing in on club takeover
Russell Martin will be keen to bring in competition for first-choice keeper Andy Fisher this summer, with more than one keeper likely to be signed by Swansea in light of the number of stoppers leaving the club.
Swans reject takeover talk
Swansea have dismissed a Brazilian businessman's claims he is close to completing a takeover of the club.
Reports emerged in the South American press that Leandro Rodrigues was pursuing a takeover of Swansea.
But Swansea sources have told WalesOnline that this is not the case. Rodrigues was quoted in Brazilian media as saying he will have more information "in the next two weeks" about purchasing the Swansea.com Stadium club.
Switzerland-based Rodrigues is an entrepreneur, and is also reportedly looking to purchase Brazilian third tier side Clube de Remo.
“In the next two weeks, we will be able to provide the entire Brazilian press with information about the acquisition of Swansea, an issue that will make many people change their minds," he is quoted as saying in Oliberal.com.
Abdulai knew from trial that he wanted Swans
Youngster Azeem Abdulai says he knew Swansea were the club for him after his trial with the club.
The 19-year-old has broken into Martin's first-team squad this season after suffering heartache at both Celtic and Leicester City earlier on in his career. Released by the Scottish giants aged 16, he suffered the same fate in the east Midlands. After being told he wasn't being handed a new contract with the Foxes, he came down to Fairwood for a trial with the Swans.
“I found out I wasn’t getting a contract in April and the week after I was coming down to Swansea for my trial," Abdulai told the Swans website in a wide-ranging interview.
“I think that because I’d been released before, I was in a position where I knew what to do, I wasn’t really worried, I knew I was going to find somewhere. I wanted to find somewhere before the start of the new season.
“I had a few trials lined up for after my trial with Swansea, but when I came here I knew straight away that I liked it. It's a good place, a good club and straight away I just wanted to sign here. Swansea was the first club I had a trial with, I played a trial for a game or two and then after the game I got offered a contract and I knew that I needed to sign it.
“When I came in and I was asked to play at central midfield I thought it was crazy, I’d never played in midfield in my life.
“I didn’t know if I would be able to do it, but it’s been a good eight or nine months now and I think I’ve come on massively in midfield."
He went on to feature regularly for Kris O'Leary in the under-23s and was rewarded by a call from
“I trained with the first team in October and then, after Christmas and New Year, I was told I was going to be up Fairwood for a bit, I’ve just learned so much and developed as a player.
“I wasn’t really expecting it when (under-23s' coach) Kris (O'Leary) told me, I was kind of surprised by it.
“Russell Martin told me that he liked what I’m doing with the under-23s, he told me to be confident and keep working hard and it will help me develop into a better player.
“I found out I was going to be on the bench against Southampton the day before the game, when I found out I was just buzzing, told my mum and my dad and they were buzzing too."
Laird door opened at United?
The door to Manchester United's first team has been opened for ex-Swans loan man Ethan Laird with news that Aaron Wan-Bissaka won't feature in new boss Erik ten Hag's plans at Old Trafford.
Laird enjoyed a successful first half of the season with Swansea before being recalled by United in January. He was subsequently loaned to Bournemouth for the remainder of the campaign, with injury hampering his spell on the south coast. The Cherries achieved promotion back to the Premier League, with Laird set for a return to United.
His future with the Red Devils may have taken a turn with Sky reports that Wan-Bissaka will be allowed to leave the club this summer.
