There is the small matter of a South Wales derby on the horizon but away from that, Swansea City head coach Russell Martin will be looking to the summer already in order to reshape his squad. And in order to achieve what he wants, he is likely to have to make a number of big decisions.
Having had limited time to conduct recruitment last summer on account of arriving just days before the campaign kicked off, this off-season presents Martin with a prolonged opportunity to work with his current players and bring in news ones who fit his philosophy. Swansea chief Mark Allen confirmed over the weekend that the hunt is already on for new signings. He said : “The process is always ongoing and it never stops, and Russell and I have already had a lot of discussions about where we want to go and potential targets.
"You also need that bit of experience and know-how, those wise old heads like a Kyle Naughton - who made his 250th appearance recently and looks like he could go on forever. It is critical to the balance of the squad, and the task for Russ and myself is to make sure that balance is right.” You can read more from Allen on Swansea's new transfer policy shift here.
READ MORE: Swans and Leeds told Flynn Downes will move for £10m this summer
So, what would Swansea’s perfect summer look like, then? We’ve taken a hypothetical look at what could happen.
Who to keep
As ever, Swansea will have a job on their hands to bat off any would-be suitors for their players. Flynn Downes is attracting admiring glances from Leeds United if reports are to be believed, something which will be of concern to Martin and supporters, such has been his impact so far this season. Former England international Kieron Dyer believes he is worth £10million and will be a Premier League player come the summer.
Should an offer of that magnitude arrive for Downes, Swansea will almost certainly accept it. Downes is key to how Martin wants to play but finances, as ever, would dictate that decision. Elsewhere, Joel Piroe is on course for 20 goals in his maiden season in British football, and at 22 years of age he will no doubt be on many teams’ shopping lists.
Jamie Paterson’s contract situation and the fallout from January will also need to be sorted in order to keep him in south Wales, while skipper Matt Grimes will always attract attention due to his consistent displays in the middle of the park. These four will be the players who will likely catch the eye of other teams' recruitment departments and Martin will be keeping everything crossed that he starts next season with them in his ranks.
Who will likely leave
Are there players at Fairwood who are surplus to requirements? Yep. Martin has hinted at it all season, saying some don’t naturally fit into the way he wants to set up in his high-octane brand of football. Yan Dhanda is set to move on when his contract expires, Ryan Bennett is also up for grabs should an offer arrive, while Jay Fulton’s future is still a bit clouded. He was brought back into the fold after the January transfer window but what happens this summer remains to be seen.
Goalkeepers Ben Hamer and Steven Benda could also move on, with Martin confirming that a new keeper is on the agenda when the transfer window opens. Then there is the question of the players out on loan, such as Morgan Whittaker, Liam Walsh, Jordon Garrick and Liam Cullen. Will there be space in Martin’s 25-man squad for them? One suspects a couple could move on permanently, while further loan spells away from Landore can't be ruled out either. Of the loanees on Swansea's books, Hannes Wolf will return to Germany, while Finley Burns could also head back to parent club Manchester City - although Swansea do have the option to extend that loan deal by 12 months.
Who do you think will leave Swansea this summer? Join the debate in the comments section below
Who they want/need
Cyrus Christie becomes a free agent at the end of the season and noises from all sides suggests that a permanent relocation to south Wales could be on the cards. "I have felt at home here from day one," he said earlier this month. "It’s massive when you play somewhere that the manager likes you, the fans like you, and I’d like to think the players have taken to me as well. I think I have fitted in comfortably. I am enjoying life. It’s kind of made me start enjoying football again – at times it has been tough over the last couple of seasons. I will see what happens at the end of the season. I am sure there will be conversations and we will see what comes."
As previously mentioned, Martin is on the lookout for a keeper to compete with current number one Andy Fisher. "Steven won't be happy being back-up. He's enjoying playing at Peterborough, he's doing really well. He's a good goalkeeper, I've said it all along," said Martin.
"We'll just have to wait and see in the summer. With Ben not playing as well, it probably changes the landscape a little bit for him. It's an area we're definitely looking at, and we're trying to plan for loads of eventualities."
At the top end of the pitch, goals have been hard to come by all season, with Piroe providing the majority of them, although Michael Obafemi has started to chip in with a few in recent weeks. Nevertheless, another forward will be on the shopping list for Martin and Allen, with a couple of names already in mentioned. And should a left wingback become available who fits the Martin mould, we could see movement there too, with Nathanael Ogbeta still getting up to speed in SA1 having arrived troubled by injury.
Summary
As ever with Swansea, a hectic summer is on the cards. The bottom line will always be that if suitable offers arrive for their players then they will be accepted. It would be naive to think that Martin will be able to keep every player he wants to, given the club are cutting their cloth accordingly due to no parachute payments.
Having said that, there will no doubt be arrivals - there have to be. Swansea's squad is still far too thin in areas. A goalkeeper, a defender, a creative player and a striker are looking to be the order of the day for starters, and if those can be secured, coupled with retaining their key stars and shipping out those who are no longer required, then Martin will be starting next season a lot stronger than when he finishes this one.
