Swansea piecing together transfer 'puzzle'

Director of football Richard Montague says Swansea City are piecing together a transfer "puzzle" in their bid to strengthen for next season.

Swansea have already agreed deals for winger Zeidane Inoussa and teenage striker Bobby Wales, while defender Ricardo Santos has signed on a free and January recruit Melker Widell will arrive in pre-season.

But there is plenty more work to do, with a left-sided centre-back and a defensive midfielder understood to be the club's leading priorities as things stand.

They are also looking at attacking options – including Oli McBurnie – and remain interested in re-g Lewis O'Brien.

There may also be further defensive additions depending on which players depart this summer, with Harry Darling's future still uncertain.

Montague says Swansea have discussed a string of potential deals – and is "very confident" Alan Sheehan's new-look squad will be stronger than the one which finished last season.

A move for Swansea old boy McBurnie, who is available on a free transfer following Las Palmas' relegation from La Liga, would be an eye-catching one, though much is likely to depend on whether fellow forwards Jerry Yates and Mykola Kuharevich come back into the fold in 2025-26.

Asked about McBurnie, who scored 26 goals in 62 appearances in his previous spell at Swansea, Montague said: "I think everybody knows about Oli and his qualities and his situation as well.

"He is one we have spoken about and will be a name on various lists that we have. He is clearly a very, very good player, but I'd be unwilling to say whether that's progressing or has progressed any further.

"In theory a lot of things are conceivable, but it depends on where you are not going to spend money elsewhere.

"Not necessarily talking about Oli McBurnie, but it's all a puzzle where you say how much do we value a particular player, what can he add to us, and how much of our budget should we allocate to any player">