Russell Martin: Head coach confirms Swansea City in negotiations with transfer targets

Swansea City head coach Russell Martin believes he will be able to complete his team before the transfer window closes on August 31st.

Swansea have lost people like Ghana striker Andre Ayew and former loaner Marc Gueh as he has lost in last season’s championship playoffs.

“We have clear goals with whom we talk,” Martin said.

– We have a couple of guys who really want to come play here.

“We are working hard on it. This window has usually been very slow, but I think it will come to life at some point.

“We’re not going to get people because of it, just to try to bring someone in.

“It’s about making sure the economy is right for us and the club they come from. I’m sure by the end of the transfer window it’s alive.

“I expect it to be a mix of loans and permanent.”

Swansea has signed three players since Martin was appointed. Midfielder Flynn Downes and Jamie Paterson will join permanently and defender Ethan Laird will move on to a season-long loan from Manchester United.

Downes missed Friday 1-0 win over Bristol City – Martin first in the championship as swan bosses – after a positive Covid -19 test.

Midfielder Ben Cabango was also away from Ashton Gate after a positive test return, while defenders Kyle Naughton and Ryan Bennett had left Swansea’s previous two matches for the same reason.

“It hasn’t been easy since we came in. We haven’t been given the easiest hand,” Martin said.

“Losing Kyle Naughton and Ryan Bennett to Covid so soon after arriving, two massive players, was hard. Now these guys [Downes and Cabango] as well.

– The guys who have come in, Ryan Manning and Brandon Cooper, who haven’t practiced for very long, have been incredibly successful, so I’m really proud of them and grateful for what they’ve given us.

“So there’s a real competition for the guys when they came back. Flynn and Ben would have started tonight [Friday] so it was a small blow.

“But I thought Jay [Fulton] and Grimesy [Matt Grimes] were brilliantly in possession and Joel Latibeaudiere was also excellent, while Ethan Laird showed what he was capable of in the second half.

“So there’s a lot of exciting stuff out there, and I don’t want to not do it, but we need to improve and players know it and are going to do it.

“I’m really proud of what they’ve been doing since we’ve been here, because it takes a lot of courage to do what we ask of them, and tonight they showed courage in a different way.”