Paul Clement will not be too disappointed with the start his Swansea City side made in the Premier League this season as they managed to hold on to a 0-0 draw on their trip to the St Mary’s on Saturday. They failed to create enough chances to break the deadlock and the manager will surely look to make some improvements before the deadline day.
He has been linked with a move for some exciting players this summer and the latest name added to the mix is West Bromwich Albion star Nacer Chadli.
Swansea ready to make move:
The Belgian winger was left out of the squad that the Baggies used for the game against Bournemouth and Tony Pulis, the West Brom manager revealed recently that he could quit the club this summer. According to a story from the Mirror, Swansea are now ready to make a bid for the 28-year old, after they sell their star player Gylfi Sigurdsson.
The Iceland international has extensively been scouted by Merseyside outfit Everton and the report claims that Swansea have identified Chadli as his replacement.
Chadli and his history:
A product of a local academy in Liege, Belgium, Chadli started his senior career in 2017 with a lower league club in Belgium but only truly established himself at Twente in a three-year spell that saw him earn a place at Tottenham Hotspur in 2013. In three years at the Lane, Chadli failed to establish himself as the first choice and was sold to West Brom at the start of the previous season.
At 28, he showed that he still had enough football left in him, last season, picking up five goals and five assists in 31 league games at the Hawthorns. A versatile attacker, who can play through the middle, or on either wing, Chadli has now established himself in England, making 119 Premier League appearances to add to his 36 international appearances and is a super addition for Swansea.
Known for his deadly eye for goal, the 28-year old’s only weakness is his unwillingness to track back on a regular basis but at the other end, he is a real force to reckon with. Twinkly feet and sublime vision added to some gifted technique make him a defender’s nightmare and as he showed in the previous season, he can create and score consistently at the highest level in the country.
But can he replace Sigurdsson?
The 27-year old Iceland winger truly announced himself at the highest level last season as he picked up 13 goals and nine assists and was crucial in helping the Welsh side stay up, amidst some dismal form last season.
He was the creator in chief at the Liberty and will be hard to replace but Chadli is a player who can not only take his positions on the field but can also take up his role in the squad and the manager’s system.
Chadli’s experience and his attributes are exactly what Swansea need and though the fans might want a more exciting European talent at the club, they should be happy with the qualities Chadli will bring in next season.
