Football League World
·22 December 2024
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·22 December 2024
We took a look at how Swansea City could get their January transfer window off to the perfect start
It's been a solid start to the 2024/25 Championship campaign for Swansea City, and while most supporters would have taken this position prior to the season starting, it's clear that Luke Williams wants more.
Swans boss Williams has set high standards for his team, stating that "I didn't come here to be average" after a defeat earlier this month to Sunderland, and that mentality will only serve his side well going forward.
The January transfer window will be crucial for Swansea if they're to build on their decent start to the campaign, and Williams will be looking to bring quality players in, as well as getting fringe players off the books.
It's easy to forget that the ex-Notts County boss has only been in charge for less than a year, so there are presumably still players at the club who he'll be looking to move on in a bid to put his own stamp on the squad.
Despite having new owners in charge of the club, Swansea still won't be able to splash the cash in January and will likely have to be shrewd in the loan market.
However, with that in mind, here are the two deals that could give Swansea a dream start to the transfer window.
Kristian Pedersen joined Swansea City from Koln last summer, but his time in south Wales has seen him desperately struggle for regular game time, spending the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Sheffield Wednesday.
The 30-year-old returned from his loan spell ahead of the current campaign, but he's struggled to make a breakthrough at Championship level thanks to the performances of Ben Cabango and Harry Darling at centre-back, and Josh Tymon at left-back.
An injury also hasn't helped the Danish international, but even when he's been fit and available, he's not been used, so a January exit makes sense for all parties.
Pedersen's deal at Swansea is set to expire at the end of the season, and it looks highly unlikely that he'll be offered fresh terms, so allowing him to leave in January would allow him to play regular football elsewhere, while freeing up space on Swansea's wage bill too.
Crucially, Pedersen is one of Swansea's highest earners, as per Capology, with it estimated that he earns a weekly wage of £18,000, making him the club's fourth-highest earner, an absurd situation for a player who rarely features.
Swansea aren't blessed with money to spend, so offloading Pedersen is a must in January to free up space on the wage bill which could be reinvested into new players.
A move for West Brom's club captain may seem like an ambitious one, but Jed Wallace would be an excellent signing for Swansea in January, whether that be on loan or on a permanent basis.
Wallace has played a bit-part role for the Baggies this season, really struggling for regular starts, and Swansea are in need of wide players, particularly a player with Wallace's experience.
The 30-year-old is a proven performer at this level thanks to spells with Millwall and West Brom, playing well over 300 Championship games, and he's shown he's both a quality player and a leader.
Swansea have recruited young, talented players from abroad, and while that has served them well, Williams would love to add experienced Championship players to his squad to strike a balance, and someone of Wallace's experience would undoubtedly improve the squad.
The Swans have the likes of Ronald, Jisung Eom, Myles Peart-Harris and Josh Ginnelly as their wing options, but Ginnelly has been out injured for 15 months and Peart-Harris isn't an out-and-out winger, leaving just Ronald and Eom, two young foreign players.
Wallace won't be happy with his lack of starts at The Hawthorns, and a fresh start elsewhere in the Championship could appeal to him, and Swansea would love a player of his experience amongst their ranks.