We are heading into the silly season of transfer gossip.
Whether you love it or hate it, one thing is for certain - it will be dominating football chat and column inches this summer.
Swansea City have always endured eventful off-seasons, especially after they fell out of the Premier League.
A month or so ago head coach Russell Martin predicted a "huge" summer for the club in terms of a recruitment overhaul and one suspects there will be several moving parts involved in this - not least the manager's own contract situation.
While his future remains a little uncertain - the ownership group have however indicated to him that they would be keen to extend his deal - bringing players in will be a tad tricky without clarity.
READ MORE: The 148 Championship free agents Swansea City could sign for nothing
But let's have a look at what could happen this summer.
What they want
Martin was asked this very question on the final day of the season when quizzed about his summer wishlist.
“I think we just have a couple of things we haven’t got at the moment,” the head coach said.
“Some real pace to scare the life out of teams, some real athleticism, especially on the top line would be really helpful for us.
“I don’t think that’s changed really in the last 18 months in terms of what we felt would be ideal.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to add to that and help the guys we’ve got here. But what the group has given us here is incredible. I think if we have that we have a real chance of building and improving on this season.”
As ever, ins will probably be dependant on outs. More on that later.
When Steven Benda and Andy Fisher are fit, they provide enough quality and competition between the sticks. Benda's recuperation and how long it takes could yet mean Martin dips into the market here.
At centre-back they appear well stocked with Nathan Wood, Ben Cabango, Harry Darling and Kyle Naughton (assuming the veteran pens an extension), while they have Brandon Cooper coming back from loan.
The full-backs will be an area Martin will want to have a look at, with Ryan Manning and Joel Latibeaudiere out of contract in Landore.
The midfield looks settled, with Matt Grimes, Joe Allen, Liam Walsh and Jay Fulton all set to be here next season, while in the attacking and creative areas the likes of Jamie Paterson, Ollie Cooper and Olivier Ntcham have all played their parts at different points of the campaign.
A bit of pace in the final third would be a positive for Swansea, something which by the manager's own admission has been needed for some time.
Who's been linked so far
It's still early days - the season has only been over a few days - but a number of names have cropped up over the last few months in relation to Swansea.
Exeter's Josh Key is an interesting one; a 24-year-old versatile full-back who is out of contract - all things that fit the Swansea City bill this summer. Should Latibeaudiere move on, he could be seen as a potential replacement.
The US defender Bryan Reynolds has long been associated with Swansea but the numbers mentioned just don't seem to make sense. Reynolds has already attracted admiring glances from big European clubs such as Feyenoord and is likely to be way out of Swansea's reach.
Kellen Fisher, a young defender at Bromley, could be one for the future.
One target Martin seems very keen to sign - or re-sign - is Luke Cundle. And it would be appear he'd be open to a return following a great season in Landore.
"I will have a little break and then I will see where I end up," said the Wolves loan man.
"I’d love to come back to Swansea. It’s been great for me, not just developing on the pitch but off the pitch as well, in a different changing room environment.
"There’s a lot of room for improvement so I wouldn’t mind coming back again and playing again. I think it’s a possibility – I will just see."
Who could go
As mentioned above, a number are out of contract this summer.
Manning, Latibeaudiere and Naughton will all see their deals expire at the end of the month, although the boss has expressed a desire for the trio to stay.
Cundle and Matty Sorinola have seen their loan spells end but there appears an appetite to bring one or indeed both back to SA1.
Wood has reportedly attracted interest from Arsenal and Tottenham; his displays have been extremely impressive this season and one suspects he'll be plying his trade in the Premier League at some stage later in his career.
Swansea had Brandon Cooper, Kyle Joseph and Nathanael Ogbeta out on loan this season and conversations will need to held over their futures. Oxford United have expressed an interest in bringing Joseph back next term.
The future of Morgan Whittaker is discussed in detail here but the fact he's been used sparingly since his return from Plymouth Argyle suggests a conversation will need to be had between those concerned this summer.
And then we have Joel Piroe, the jewel in the crown. Swansea's recent accounts showed their continued reliance on player sales and that is unlikely to change, with the Dutchman their biggest sellable asset at present. You can read more about the Piroe dilemma here.
“I was worried last summer,” said Martin when asked about his concerns over Piroe's form attracting suitors
“It worries me a bit more he’s only got a year left on his contract. That sort of stuff we need to avoid in the future really. Hopefully that’s the sort of stuff Andy (Coleman) can come in and really help to have an influence on and impact on, because we shouldn’t be sitting here with our top goalscorer with a year left on his contract because it makes us more vulnerable than maybe we should or could be.
“He’s a brilliant young man, brilliant footballer, it was a really apt way for the game to finish. He does that and scores 20 goals again.
“I’d love to keep him. I don’t think he’s in a rush to leave, I really don’t.
“I think he understands and respects his development in the process he’s been working with and how much the style of the team really suits him.
“I think he has a real awareness of that and so does his dad, who looks after him and his career.
“Will there be interest? One hundred per cent. But if Joel leaves it has to be for an amount of money that really makes a difference to the club. I think everyone will agree on that, and it means we can try to find someone to replace him, because to score the amount of goals that he has... not just that, what he brings to the team, how he behaves on and off the pitch, amazing.
“I love him and hope that we can keep him. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
READ MORE:
The 148 Championship free agents Swansea City could sign for nothing
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