He’s not holding the shirt just yet, but it appears that Swansea City have sealed their first signing of the summer.
After days of negotiations, it’s claimed a deal has now been struck to take Korean star Eom Ji-sung to the Swansea.com Stadium.
The move has yet to be confirmed by the Swans, but the winger’s current club Gwangju FC have publicly stated that as far as they’re concerned, the 22-year-old is on his way to south Wales.
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A release on the club’s official website has confirmed the move, and has also stated there will be a farewell event for the player on Friday. Things might just get fully rubber-stamped soon after.
Assuming, as it appears increasingly safe to do so, Eom is the first body through the door this summer, attention will quickly turn to the rest of the window, and the next potential arrivals and departures in what remains a somewhat daunting recruitment drive.
Reports have already emerged linking the Swans with Brentford midfielder Myles Peart-Harris, and there are likely to be a number of other names thrown into the mix over the next couple of weeks as the transfer window starts to really heat up.
As has been stated on several occasions before, almost every area is ripe for strengthening this summer, particularly given the number of departures that have already been confirmed. Six loanees have gone back to their parent clubs, and the likes of Liam Walsh and Nathanael Ogbeta are now out of contract.
Przemyslaw Placheta and Jamie Paterson have also become free agents, although there’s still a chance both could yet make a return to the club for the start of the coming campaign. Luke Williams has already suggested there might yet be a future for Placheta, while Paterson is still mulling over a new one-year deal.
There could still be further departures. Nathan Tjoe-A-On is attracting interest from elsewhere, while the likes of Mykola Kuharevich and Kristian Pedersen could potentially be sold if acceptable offers arrive. As it stands, though, nothing has been decided.
One man who certainly won’t be in the squad for the new season, however, is Nathan Wood. The defender is set to be confirmed as a Southampton player before the end of the week, in what already looks to be the most significant departure of the window.
Wood has been on the radar of the Saints for nearly an entire year, with the Swans rejecting a bid believed to be around £10m in the last summer window. The fee taking him to St Mary’s this time around is believed to be a fraction of that figure, with some suggestions indicating it could be worth somewhere between £3m and £5m.
A new centre-back might well have been pushed further high up the agenda, although it was probably already a priority given the Swans were preparing themselves for Wood to depart in this window.
It’s much the same with Jerry Yates. A striker was a key priority before his loan move to Derby County was confirmed, and it’s understood the club are working hard on ensuring they get a new forward through the door.
Targets have been identified, but the club are so far doing a pretty solid job on keeping names to themselves at the moment.
One man who Williams is known to like is Macaulay Langstaff, whose bottomless supply of goals were the backbone of the success enjoyed at Notts County.
The Magpies have made Langstaff club captain, presumably in an attempt to try and keep him at Meadow Lane, but it’s clear he’s a man in demand this summer. Millwall have already launched a bid for his services and currently appear to be in the box seat in terms of getting a move done, and the Swans will have to move quickly if they are to become serious contenders.
However, at the moment there doesn’t appear to have been any real moves from the Swans to try and snap him up this summer.
Another player Williams clearly likes is Carl Rushworth. The Brighton and Hove Albion goalkeeper was a smashing success during his loan spell here last summer, and the Swans boss has made little secret of the fact he’d like him back.
However, the chances of Rushworth returning have been repeatedly played down by the Swans boss, who admits a keeper is now another pressing priority.
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There could well be a possible dilemma to navigate on this one. Despite the pessimism, the door hasn’t yet been completely closed on Rushworth coming back. But it’s understood a decision over what happens next is unlikely to be made until later on in the window.
