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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Tom Coleman

Why Swansea City have decided to spend £2.5m on Blackpool striker Jerry Yates

Swansea City are on the brink of their third signing of the summer.

Jerry Yates is to undergo a medical on Tuesday ahead of a permanent move from League One Blackpool, believed to be worth around £2.5million.

On the face of things, it seems a decent price for someone of his goalscoring pedigree at this level.

READ MORE: Swansea City closing in on third summer signing as bid for Blackpool striker Jerry Yates accepted

There weren't many positives for Blackpool last season as they slid down to League One, but the 26-year-old was certainly one of them, netting 15 goals and earning six assists in all competitions.

The Jack Army might well remember him for his penalty miss against the Swans at Bloomfield Road last season, but those figures will nevertheless be considered attractive to a side gasping for some added attacking bite - and that's before you get onto the subject of Joel Piroe's future.

However, goals are just part of the reason why he's likely to appeal to boss Michael Duff. While primarily a centre-forward, Yates is a versatile option who has been known to occasionally play across the front three or as a second striker, which could help to give Swansea's attacking blueprint another dimension if needed.

But more importantly, he has the attributes to fit in with Duff's brand of high-energy football.

While the Northern Irishman doesn't necessarily favour the possession-heavy approach of his predecessor, he has been known to favour a high press, unsettling opponents with an in-your-face level of energy.

Yates recorded 20 interceptions and 27 tackles last season, which are pretty decent numbers for a striker, and point to a forward highly competent in the art of winning the ball back in the final third.

Previous boss Michael Appleton was one of those to make a public note of the forward's effervescence, ironically after his spot-kick miss against the Swans.

He said at the time: "Obviously he brings a lot of energy on the pitch but off the pitch he brings a lot of energy as well and if you can keep him in a good place, keep him happy, then he'll go through periods throughout the season where he has spells and he'll score goals."

Appleton was obviously dismissed a few months later with Blackpool deep in the relegation mix, but was nevertheless bang on in his assessment of his star striker, who would go on to enjoy a profitable season in front of goal, unsurprisingly cementing himself as a fan favourite in the process.

If he can pick up where he left off, he'll likely be a big hit with the Jack Army too.

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