Football365’s transfer guides: Part four

Matt Stead

The first transfer guide of the summer can be found here. The second is right here and the third here.

 

SWANSEA CITY

What they need
Bodies – preferably young ones – and fast. With six of their most-used 13 players from last season over 30, Swansea need an injection of energy. And they really cannot afford to lose both Gylfi Sigurddson and Andre Ayew, scorers of 23 of their 42 Premier League goals in a campaign that took the Swans a little too close to the edge for comfort. Keep them both and add a right-back (Kyle Naughton is far from good enough), centre-half, central midfielder and another striker, as well as completing a permanent deal for Leroy Fer, and it will be an excellent summer. Swansea do not need to spend big money, just sensible money.

What they’ll probably get
James Chester (the lost Baggie who can play at right-back and centre-half) and Joe Allen would be solid opening moves, while Swansea could do worse than grab a player from the relegated clubs – Ciaran Clark or Idrissa Gueye from Aston Villa are two possible targets in the right age bracker. Whatever they do might not be enough to make Ayew stay; he could play for a top-eight side, which makes reports of a £15m move to Sunderland look ludicrous. If he goes there, it can only be for the money. But should Ayew leave for that kind of fee, suddenly they are shopping in a different aisle. A return for Wilfried Bony, perhaps?

What’s been said
“I spoke with [the chairman] about my favoured shape and characteristics of new players. I can only say the characteristics of players that I want in new players, then the decision will be made by the club. I can’t say I want this player or that player, I can only talk about characteristics. The decision is with our chairman. There is a good relationship and good communication between me and the chairman” – Francesco Guidolin, May 12

 

TOTTENHAM

What they need
Harry Kane played just 50 minutes short of a full Premier League season, which is ridiculous for a striker. Spurs were also lucky that they could pretty much run Toby Alderwiereld, Eric Dier and Christian Eriksen into the ground, though their poor form in the final weeks of the season suggests that perhaps they had reached breaking point. There is very little wrong with Tottenham’s starting XI but they do desperately need competition for Kane up front and in central midfield, where they have massively struggled in the absence of Mousa Dembele and cannot expect Dier to complete another season entirely injury-free, especially after a summer spent doing all England’s tackling. Oh and a winger or two would be nice.

What they’ll probably get
We have largely been reading about strikers like Troy Deeney and Alexandre Lacazette – the latter comes with Champions League experience and would look rather more ambitious – while Mauricio Pochettino favourite Victor Wanyama could be a quite considerable upgrade on Ryan Mason. Andre Schurrle is one intriguing name – offering both European experience and substantial goal threat from out wide. Tottenham need to learn from Liverpool’s mistakes of the summer of 2014 and actually buy players to reflect their new status; the good news is that Tottenham are highly unlikely to sell anybody Pochettino wants to keep.

What’s been said
“We have to improve our squad – this is very clear. We are all agreed about that. The Champions League is a different level, and to compete in that, the Premier League and the domestic cups is very important” – Mauricio Pochettino. May 13.

 

WATFORD

What they need
Players to play in new coach Walter Mazzarri’s preferred 3-5-2, which means a new set of wing-backs; the impressive Nathan Ake will return to Chelsea and Allan Nyom was an accident waiting to happen for much of last season. The priority will be finding goals after no other Watford player but Troy Deeney or Odion Ighalo scored more than twice in the Premier League, and pace to play Mazzarri’s beloved counter-attacking game. Maybe he can find a use for Steven Berghuis because we had literally forgotten he was there.

What they’ll probably get
F*** knows. We already know Adalberto Penaranda, Isaac Success and Abdoulaye Doucoure will arrive this summer, but Doucoure may be the only one of that trio who is remotely ready for the Premier League. Liverpool winger Jerome Sinclair is another winger expected to sign but he may well be the only arrival we would not need to Google; the consensus among local journalists is that the Hornets are almost exclusively targeting young players with potential sell-on value.

What’s been said
“As a club, we should be looking at the Southamptons of this world and the model that they have done so well with. Then, the longer we are in the Premier League, we can start to introduce one or two from our academy. Because we want some of our younger players to make a career at Watford” – Sporting director Luke Dowling, March 24

 

WEST BROM

What they need
You may remember from about four minutes ago that six of Swansea’s most-used 13 players from last season were over 30; West Brom can match that figure. One of those – Stephane Sessegnon – is leaving on a free transfer, so there’s a gap right there for a pacey, creative player. Assuming Saido Berahino finally leaves, they will also need a striker, while a couple of younger bodies in central midfield would be welcome. You might think they can’t possibly need any more centre-halves, but when you play at least four every game…

What they’ll probably get
Steven Caulker has been strongly linked – as has Ciaran Clark – but fans would like to see a signing that leads them to make a little whistling sound. Could that be Nathan Redmond? Or Andros Townsend? Or Victor Moses? Certainly somebody needs to notch more than three assists for the Baggies next season; Pulis’s job may well depend on something remotely exciting happening at some point. Diafro Sakho is an excellent striker shout, though Sam Allardyce would presumably head that queue, so Jordan Ayew could be an alternative. And we have a feeling that Pulis will like Robbie Brady despite the two relegations on his CV.

What’s been said
“I don’t think the age mix is right at the moment. We had a big meeting with the scouting chaps yesterday in respect of looking for younger talent. We have got to balance it a bit better than this year. I think we’ve got one of the oldest squads in the Premier League”- Tony Pulis, April 15

 

WEST HAM

What they need
Well what they think they need is a ‘wow’ signing, a ‘Jesus, West Ham must mean business if they’re signing him’ kind of signing. What’s clear is that they need at least one goalscorer, with no player reaching double figures in the Premier League last season. That star-spangled signing will clearly grab all the attention but what the Hammers also need is a right-back (Michail Antonio is an excellent footballer but he is not a right-back), at least one extra body in central midfield and at least one more creative force to take some of the burden from Dimitri Payet.

What they’ll probably get
It’s difficult to see Alexandre Lacazette joining West Ham but Michy Batshuayi? Quite possibly, though that may depend on him not having an amazing Euro 2016 and being offered Champions League football elsewhere. A move for Christian Benteke could suit all parties; work on his confidence and play to his strengths and he could be a 20-goal striker again. As for a right-back, Mathieu Debuchy has been linked but that sounds like wishful thinking on the part of the Frenchman. We’re sure that a scouting team that found Manuel Lanzini in the Middle East can find a right-back further away than north London.

What’s been said
“We know that we need a top striker which is the hardest thing to sign. We need a 20-goal-a-season striker and that will cost us £25m or £30million. That is where the bulk of the money goes. I would think that four, five or six players will come in this summer depending on how many go and hopefully we do just as well or even better next season” – West Ham co-owner David Sullivan, May 27.