SCFC2
Swansea City’s start to the new Championship season has been very bright, and it’s in large part down to the host of loan players at the manager’s disposal.
With the coffers in need of a cash injection, Steve Cooper has been incredibly savvy and used the squads of bigger clubs to help propel the Swans to seriously challenge for the promotion.
However, the team needs stability if they are going to challenge the likes of Bournemouth, Norwich and Watford for a spot in the Premier League, so signing the loanees permanently would be a smart move.
But, which of them should Cooper sign permanently and which of them are available?
Freddie Woodman
Freddie Woodman is the number one goalkeeper in the Swansea squad, and that makes him an integral part of the push for automatic and play-off success.
If you look at the English Championship odds and the sides that are in the running for promotion, the four clubs in front of fifth-favourites Swansea all have a strong spine running down the middle of the team sheet.
The Swans will be no different, especially since they have been stingy defensively. There’s another reason to try and sign Woodman – he’s part of the furniture.
He arrived in August 2019, almost helping the squad to the play-off final in his first season. In his time at the Liberty Stadium, Woodman has not only proved his worth but slipped down the Newcastle pecking order due to the emergence of Karl Darlow. So, the keeper could be open to a switch.
Marc Guehi
A graduate from Chelsea’s youth academy, Marc Guehi is quickly becoming a Championship sensation following a string of performances at the back for Swansea this year.
Guehi has been so good that he has been a constant presence, with over 1,500 minutes of football. Along with Woodman, Guehi is why Swansea have one of the best defences in England, not just the Championship.
Frank Lampard has a history of giving promising youngsters an opportunity in the first team, so he could return to Stamford Bridge to fight for his place.
Still, the Ivory Coast-born centre-half is down the pecking order as the likes of Thiago Silva, Kurt Zouma and Antonio Rudiger are ahead of him, and the carrot of regular football could tempt him into joining permanently.
Morgan Gibbs-White
Morgan Gibbs-White was one of the hottest properties in English football in 2017. Unfortunately for him, and fortunately for Swansea, the youngster fell out of favour with manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
Yet, just because his trajectory has changed course isn’t a sign that he’s past it at the age of 20. Gibbs-White is the real deal with 70 appearances in all competitions for Wolves, and a plethora of starts for England U-21s.
Since he came to the Liberty, he has made a good impression with a number of assured performances despite having his appearances limited by a fractured foot injury.
If the Swansea hierarchy could manage to persuade these three players to sign permanent contracts, the Swans would be in a great position to return to the Premier League.