Luke Williams spoke yesterday about his desire to bring in a striker this summer and it is relatively widely suggested that his former striker at Notts County, Macaulay Langstaff, will be that choice although it will cost a decent chunk to get him to SA1.
After four months at the club it is relatively obvious to Williams that we do not have the presence up front to score enough goals to mount any serious Championship campaign and the record of Langstaff (70 goals in 90 league games) at County is enough to suggest that he could do a job for the Swans.
While 29 goals this season helped County return to League Two, it was a more than respectable return for anyone in the EFL and typically the kind of return at that level that leads to a promotion to higher levels, so we won’t be the only ones following this record.
With just five more wins throughout the season (three of them in the last five games), Notts County’s performance after Williams’ departure in January was pretty dismal. They fell from being a play-off contender to a lower mid-table team, and any Magpies fan concerned about the team’s future performance will be understandably distressed.
But going back to Langstaff, he will undoubtedly seize the opportunity to collaborate with Williams once more, under whom he has experienced the pinnacle of his career, even though there will be doubts about his capacity to perform at this calibre. If the twenty-seven-year-old doesn’t take the risk now, it might not present itself later in life.
As they get ready to return to League One after winning two straight promotions last season, Wrexham may be eager to add the striker to their roster, according to a report from Wales Online. There are also rumours that Langstaff is being pursued by other Championship teams.
To convince the County to sell, a seven-figure amount would be required.
We also need to add individuals who have demonstrated their ability to score goals or who, from what we’ve observed, are capable of scoring when given the appropriate opportunity.
“We are getting in there, so we definitely need more natural finishers, more guys with the instinct to finish actions off.”
It is anticipated that Jerry Yates will leave the team this summer. It’s hard to see how he fits into Williams’ preferred style of play, and his first year here hasn’t gone as well as anyone would have thought when we signed him in the summer. It’s common knowledge that no member in the team is completely out.
Luke Williams spoke yesterday about his desire to bring in a striker this summer and it is relatively widely suggested that his former striker at Notts County, Macaulay Langstaff, will be that choice although it will cost a decent chunk to get him to SA1.
After four months at the club it is relatively obvious to Williams that we do not have the presence up front to score enough goals to mount any serious Championship campaign and the record of Langstaff (70 goals in 90 league games) at County is enough to suggest that he could do a job for the Swans.
We won’t be alone in watching this record mind, 29 goals this season as County returned to League Two was a more than decent return for anybody in the EFL and normally the kind of return at that level that results in a move to higher levels.
The form of Notts County was pretty dismal following the departure of Williams in January with just five more wins recorded all season (three of them in the last five games) as they slipped from the position of being play off challengers to a side sat in lower mid table and the continuation of that kind of form will be a worry for anyone who is a fan of the Magpies.
But back to Langstaff he will surely jump at the chance to work again with Williams under whom he has had the best spell of his career although there will be question marks about the ability of him to step up to this level. At the age of twenty-seven if he doesn’t make the step up now then that opportunity may not come around again.
Wales Online have already reported that Wrexham could be keen to add the striker to their ranks as they prepare for a return to League One following their second successive promotion last season and there is also speculation that other Championship clubs are keen on Langstaff.
Fee wise it would take a seven figure fee to persuade County to sell but, as we well know, that kind of money to help fund and support a League Two campaign would make a massive difference and any club coming in with that kind of money would see them finding it very difficult to reject a bid.
Williams told the BBC yesterday “I think there is a realistic possibility that there will be a new striker.
“We also need to bring in other players who have either proved they can score goals, or players we believe we have seen enough to suggest that if we put them in the right position, they will score.
“We definitely need more natural finishers, more guys with the instinct to finish actions off, because we are getting in there.”
Jerry Yates is expected to be a departure from the club this summer. It is difficult to see where he fits into the style of play that Williams wants to play with and his twelve months here have not been the success that anyone would have hoped when we signed him last summer. It is widely known that no player within the club is totally out of bounds when you consider a potential sale (is that any different in any club?) and with nine goals last season Yates will still command some level of decent fee although getting back what we paid for him is probably unlikely.
For me Langstaff would be a good addition to the squad. He stepped up to League Two with some ease last season and the 29 goals is a good return at that level. It is a decent jump though to the Championship but Williams knows his game inside out and if he feels if he is the right player then he deserves to be backed by the recruitment team to make it happen. The need for a striker is an obvious one we simply do not have the right options there and realised this season with the absence of 
just how important a player is who can find the back of the net on a regular basis.
