Your Swansea City headlines for Tuesday, March 22.
Scouting mission planned
Swansea City will undertake a significant scouting mission this weekend as they continue their preparations for the summer transfer window.
The Swans are in the middle of a fortnight break due to the international schedule, with Russell Martin's men not returning to action until they face Cardiff City on Saturday, April 2. Those not involved with their country have been given some time off to recuperate ahead of the final nine Championship matches of the campaign.
READ MORE: The transfer situation of every Swansea City player
And the Swans' coaching staff are set to use the upcoming free weekend slot to scout transfer targets while also monitoring their loan players.
"They have a couple of days off after Saturday, it's been a long week and a busy period of games," revealed head coach Martin. "We have the weekend off which we'll use to watch games. A couple of targets for the summer and a couple of our loan players. Every staff member is going to watch a game of football.
"The lads have the weekend off but during the week we'll be working and it'll be straight back for a normal week after that. It would have been nice to give them more time off, but I feel like we want to finish the season strongly and we have about seven weeks left and they'll be off for a bit of time anyway, so it's a balance between a bit of rest and work."
What position should Swansea prioritise in the summer transfer window? Have your say in our comments section.
Brentford starlet linked
Swansea are among a clutch of clubs to express an interest in signing Brentford B starlet Nathan Young-Coombes, according to reports.
The Swans are determined to bolster their squad in the summer, and The Sun claim they are exploring the option of recruiting attacker Young-Coombes on loan. The report states Premier League duo Crystal Palace and Southampton are both monitoring the 19-year-old's situation.
It is also reported that Swansea's Championship rivals Queens Park Rangers and Bournemouth want to sign Young-Coombes, who has netted 27 goals for Brentford B this season. The Englishman joined the Bees from Rangers on a three-year deal last summer.
His existing deal with the Londoners runs until the summer of 2024, with Thomas Frank's men holding the option to extend that contract by an additional 12 months.
Cabango's Wales hope
Ben Cabango hopes his recent form for Swansea will earn him a place in Rob Page's Wales team to face Austria on Thursday night.
The Red Dragons host Franco Foda's side at Cardiff City Stadium for a place in the World Cup play-off final, with Cabango included in the 26-man squad for the mammoth encounter. His inclusion in the international setup comes amid an impressive run of displays for Russell Martin's men.
And the 21-year-old is eager to add to his tally of three caps as Wales bid to edge one step closer to reaching a first World Cup since 1958.
“I am really looking forward to it. I think recently I have had a good period and I have had a good two months in the starting line-up,” the defender told the Swansea website.
“I am playing well. Hopefully I can be involved in the game and hopefully we get through. I have been involved in the starting 11 for 11 games in a row now, so I have been doing well and I just need to just keep my head down, working hard, and keep putting in good performances.”
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Cascarino confident of Cooper progression
Tony Cascarino believes Steve Cooper is destined to manage in the Premier League.
The 42-year-old led Swansea to successive play-off campaigns in his two seasons at SA1 but was unable to guide the club back into the top-flight after twice having their efforts ended by Brentford. Having left the Swans last summer, Cooper returned to the dugout with Championship rivals Nottingham Forest in September.
The City Ground outfit were languishing in the division's relegation zone when Cooper took charge but are now serious play-off contenders following a remarkable upturn in results. And former Chelsea star Cascarino believes Forest will be the firm favourites to go up if they finish in the top six.
"He has a great chance of getting Forest up," he told The Game Football Podcast. "They can get through the play-offs. I think they'll make the play-offs and they would be my favourites to go through if they get there.
"He comes over so well and his teams are really well set up. He's got a great chance of being a Premier League manager."
Naughton's importance in numbers
“He is one of our cultural architects, and it’s important to have experienced players who really believe in what they’re doing and what we’re doing because it helps the people around him."
The words of Russell Martin typify exactly how much the head coach values Kyle Naughton. The 33-year-old chalked up his 250th appearance for Swansea in the 0-0 draw with Birmingham City last weekend.
He has been vital in the club's style shift this season, and the numbers back-up the defender's importance within the current setup. Naughton sits at the top of the pile in a number of categories when it comes to his rank against all other central defenders in the Championship.
Per game, he has the most passes (80.7), best pass accuracy (91.4%), most forward passes (50.51) and best forward pass accuracy (88.5%) of all centre-backs in the second tier of English football. Swansea's record with and without Naughton in their ranks also speaks volumes.
They have a higher win percentage when Naughton plays which in turn means their points-per-game average is better when Naughton is involved. They also keep clean sheets more often and concede fewer goals when the ex-Tottenham man features.
Naughton's current contract expires in the summer, although head coach Martin will no doubt be keen to see the experienced defender stay on for another season at least as the Swans bid to challenge the play-off places next term.
