The Swans brought in a number of new recruits over the summer – and some have clearly been more successful than others
There were plenty of positives for Swansea City fans to enjoy on Sunday.
A 4-0 win over struggling Sheffield Wednesday has not only further eased any flickering concerns of a relegation fight, but has actually sparked some tentative talk of an unlikely surge towards the top six.
Swans fans also got to see new signing Leo Walta in action for the first time. The Finland international coming off the bench to make his first outing since arriving on deadline day.
January as a whole was a reasonably quiet one for the Swans, with Walta one of three incomings during the month.
Joel Ward and Bretford loanee Gustavo Nunes were the others to come through the door, and Vitor Matos will be hoping the trio can make a positive impact on his squad heading into the second half of the season.
Swansea’s summer recruits have certainly made a difference.
Well, some of them anyway. Others are perhaps still waiting for their Swans careers to get moving.
Here’s a quick look at how Swansea’s summer signings have fared so far.
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Zeidane Inoussa
Swansea’s first signing of what would prove to be a busy summer. He signed a five-year deal after joining for an undisclosed fee from FC Hacken. The winger’s arrival was the first indication of co-owner Luka Modric’s influence, after revealing he spoke to the Croatian before signing.
Verdict: Has shown some promising signs, but has taken time to adapt to the Championship. Started 12 times, but yet to score a league goal, and facing a prolonged spell on the sidelines with a back injury.
Bobby Wales
The youngster was always going to be signed as one for the future after joining from Kilmarnock, where he scored five goals in 44 appearances.
Verdict: Hasn’t yet managed to really make his mark on the first team, with all four of his league appearances coming from the bench. Does have a cup goal to his name, and he remains highly rated by insiders, but needs to play regular football on loan at Huddersfield.
Ricardo Santos
Was always brought in as defensive cover after leaving Bolton Wanderers on a free transfer, but may well have expected a little more game-time. Injuries haven’t helped, but he’s made just one appearance since joining. Was close to leaving in January but an exit never materialised.
Verdict: Still time to turn things around, but doesn’t feel like it’s worked out so far.
Cameron Burgess
Signed on a free after coming up against the likes of Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak in the Premier League with Ipswich Town. Has become one of the first names on the teamsheet this season, having started every league game so.
Verdict: Has had his dips, and clearly brings a different skillset to predecessor Harry Darling, but it would take a big shift for him to be dislodged as Ben Cabango’s first-choice partner. A pretty successful signing on the whole.
Ethan Galbraith
Has looked hugely impressive both in the heart of midfield and, more recently, at right-back. Having notched up three goals and two assists, the Northern Irishman has become a huge favourite with fans and players alike.
Verdict: The fact Swansea are likely to have a big fight on their hands to keep him this summer says it all. Already an instrumental figure, and very much looks a Premier League player in waiting.
Kaelan Casey
Brought in on loan to add further depth at the heart of defence. However, he made just three league starts for the Swans, much to the concern of West Ham, who made the decision to recall him in January. Now enjoying a stint at Leyton Orient.
Verdict: It didn’t really work out, but it wasn’t really his fault given Burgess and Cabango are clearly the favoured duo right now. Was fairly accomplished on the occasions he was called upon.
Paul Farman
Signed to add depth to the goalkeeping options, the 35-year-old hasn’t yet made a single appearance. Barring a goalkeeping injury crisis, it seems unlikely that will change any time soon.
Verdict: He’s provided valuable cover, but with his contract up at the end of the season, it seems likely he’ll be moving on this summer.
Malick Yalcouye
Signed amid a fair amount of fanfare on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion, the midfielder was playing Champions League football for Austrian side Sturm Graz last term. Netted his first Swans goal in the 4-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend.
Verdict: Has had a bit of a slow start to this Swans career. A silly red card against Queens Park Rangers in October clearly didn’t help matters. Indeed, he wouldn’t start another game until New Year’s Day, and there had been some suggestion Matos perhaps wasn’t too keen on the midfielder. However, a series of promising recent cameos means he is surely now pushing for more game-time. One hopes there is more to come.
Marko Stamenic
A huge favourite under Alan Sheehan, the New Zealander has had a difficult time in south Wales due to matters off the pitch. However, he now looks to be recapturing some of his promising early form, as evidenced by his brilliant performance at Watford recently.
Verdict: Seems a really important part of this team, adding steel at the base of midfield. Looks to be a solid acquisition.
Adam Idah
Arrived for a massive fee, but his Swans career is yet to really take off. There have been highlights, most notably his winner against Wrexham before Christmas. But a hamstring injury and the red-hot form of Zan Vipotnik has clearly hugely hampered his efforts to impress.
Verdict: Spending three months on the treatment table will be gutting. As such, the jury is clearly still out for now.
Ishe Samuels-Smith
Had never made a senior appearance before joining on loan from Chelsea, and the decision to hand him a debut against Premier League Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup earlier in the season subsequently felt a bit of a gamble. However, he’s always looked fairly comfortable when called upon.
Verdict: Looks a decent acquisition and probably would have played more were it not for Josh Tymon’s importance to this team. There could well be a gap to fill at centre-back, however, in the second half of the season, a role he has played before.
Manuel Benson
There was plenty of excitement around his capture given how good he was for Burnley when he was last at this level. But it turned out to be a bit of a disaster, with the winger starting one game before being shipped out in January to Maccabi Haifa.
Verdict: Sadly proved the worst signing of the window. His time in south Wales yielded little, if any, positives. A move away the best for all concerned.
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