Swansea City 2016-17 season review: Results, roster changes, and summer transfer targets

Swansea City endured what must surely be the most testing of all of their Premier League seasons this time around. They went through three permanent managers in total, with former Derby County boss Paul Clement eventually steering them to safety after Francesco Guidolin and Bob Bradley were sacked by chairman Huw Jenkins. Their impressive late surge saw them win four of their last five league matches, eventually finishing three places and seven points above the drop zone.

However, supporters will know that things could easily have ended so differently. In the end, Jenkins’ itchy trigger finger paid dividends, but the fact remains that a club only recently lauded as one of the best-run in the division spent much of this season fighting for their lives. It was a position that they should never really have found themselves in. They’ll doubtless be hoping for a strong summer transfer campaign, and a much more comfortable next season.

What went right

The most obvious success for Swansea this season was the hiring of Clement. It was certainly a risky decision after his sacking at Derby County, but one that paid off. Under Bradley, Swansea were relegation certainties: When the American coach was sacked in December, the Welsh side were four points adrift of safety; only goal difference kept them above basement side Hull City. But Clement turned the rag-tag bunch into a cohesive unit, applying the nous he picked up as Carlo Ancelotti’s assistant at Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich. He must take much of the credit for keeping Swansea up.

However, it is ultimately the players that do the business, and two in particular proved instrumental in Swansea’s late resurgence. Icelandic playmaker Gylfi Sigurðsson furthered his reputation as one of the Premier League’s most underrated players in a brilliant campaign, chipping in with a whopping 13 assists — only Kevin De Bruyne and Christian Eriksen produced more — and nine goals from midfield. It’s no surprise some of the division’s bigger clubs are beginning to circle. Also impressive was Spanish striker Fernando Llorente, who belied his age with 15 goals in all. Without such a strong attacking duo, the Swans may well have been preparing for life in the second tier.

What went wrong

Swansea have looked in steady decline for quite a while, so this season merely marked the continuation of an alarming trend. They’ve struggled for stability since the sacking of Garry Monk in December 2015, and the dismissal of Guidolin — who guided them to safety last year — paved the way for Bradley’s disastrous 85-day reign. It would be ridiculous to apportion all of the blame for Swansea’s struggles to the American, but we can certainly say that a bad situation looked even worse by the time he was dismissed.

Swansea's other big failure this season were the performances of record signing Borja Bastón. The club broke the bank to sign the £15 million striker from Atlético Madrid in the summer, though successive coaches appear to have deemed him lacking in the requisite quality. He made just four Premier League starts in all, his only goal coming in a 3-2 defeat away at Arsenal in October. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Swans look to cut their losses on the 24-year-old this summer.

Reasons for optimism

Perhaps the biggest reason for optimism is the way in which they finished the season. Five games unbeaten and four victories is no mean feat; if they can carry that momentum over the summer, they’ll be looking at a much more comfortable campaign. Clement has clearly struck on a formula that neither Guidolin nor Bradley could, and is going about establishing his reputation as one of the most talented coaches in the country at present. Only time will tell whether it will last, but the omens look good.

There’s also the fact that Clement’s globetrotting as Ancelotti’s right-hand man has seen him strike up favourable relations with some of European football’s major players. That should prove very handy indeed when it comes to trying to strengthen Swansea’s weaknesses in the summer transfer market. Clement has already dropped a hint to Wales Online: “You always try to use the contacts and the knowledge you have. I have contacts at all the clubs where I’ve worked — Chelsea, Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern Munich — and they are really good people.”

What they need this summer

Swansea's Achilles’ heel is doubtless their defence. Only relegated Hull shipped more goals in the Premier League than the Swans this season; while with 45 goals, the Welsh side found the net more often than the likes of Southampton, West Bromwich Albion, and Stoke City. It’s for that reason that we should be expecting Clement to try and fortify his back line first and foremost. Álvaro Arbeloa and Andrea Ranocchia have been linked with a move to the Liberty Stadium in recent weeks, though it’d be a surprise if they were considered real solutions to the defensive problem.

There’s also the fact that their two attacking stars — Sigurðsson and Llorente — may not be at Swansea for the long haul. Everton are rumoured to be strongly interested in signing the former, who could also be tempted back to his former club Tottenham Hotspur. Llorente, meanwhile, is now 32 years old, and can’t be relied upon too heavily. Attacking reinforcements are therefore a must — particularly if Sigurðsson does indeed leave. Talented youngsters Henry Onyekuru and Davie Selke of Eupen and Leipzig, respectively, could help mitigate any attacking departures.