Swansea’s shrewd striker signings

Andre Ayew and Bafetimbi Gomis have started the season in good form for Swansea

Swansea City have become a good example of a very well run Premier League club, without spending a fortune on new signings.

The Swans have been very shrewd in the transfer market in recent years, grabbing some very good players for low fees, or even on free transfers.

Form

Yesterday’s 2-1 victory over Manchester United at Swansea at the Liberty Stadium was inspired by two such free signings, as Ghana international Andre Ayew and French striker Bafetimbi Gomis both scored in the win.

It was not the first time the former-Ligue One pair have helped the Swans to points this season.

In fact Gomis has now scored in all four of Swansea’s Premier League games this season and Ayew already has three goals in the English top-flight and also collected the assist for Gomis’ winning goal against United.

Slow

When Gomis joined Swansea last summer his signing was a bit of a coup for the Welsh side. At Lyon he had previously been relatively prolific and was linked with moves to some of Europe’s top clubs, but a move just never materialised.

He endured a slow start at the Liberty Stadium, mainly due to Ivorian international striker Wilfried Bony being first choice striker for Garry Monk’s team. Bony left for Manchester City in January in a deal worth around £30million and Gomis was then afforded more starts for Monk’s side.

Gomis managed just seven goals in the Premier League last season, although 13 of his 31 top-flight appearances came off the bench for the Swans. Interestingly though six of those seven league goals came in the last ten games of last season.

There were even rumours that the 30-year-old was unsettled at the club and he was linked with a move elsewhere.

However, Garry Monk has made Gomis his undisputed first choice striker and that faith has been repaid in the French striker netting four goals, he needs just three more to equal his scoring tally for the whole of his debut campaign at the Liberty Stadium.

On his day Gomis seems to have all the attributes a Premier League striker needs to be successful. He is physically strong and for a big man has pace to burn. The French striker has struggled for consistency in the past, but the combination with Ayew has brought the best out of the big striker.

Coup

For me, Swansea signing Andre Ayew on a free transfer this summer was one of the coups of the transfer window.

Ayew had been linked with a move to a number of different clubs, before making the move to south Wales. The likes of Everton and Spurs were both mooted as possible destinations for the versatile star.

The Ghana international has already proven a success with his goals and general play. However, I do not think we have yet seen the best of the former-Marseille ace.

At 26-years-old he has arrived at Swansea in his prime. Playing as both a left-winger and a striker he has been superb for Garry Monk’s side so far this season. Ayew is highly-talented, but in French football he never quite lived-up to his potential.

If his current boss can manage to get Ayew to produce the sort of performances he has in the opening few weeks of his Swans career for the rest of the season, then the south Wales club will have a fantastic player on their hands.

Dangerous

Swansea are a team known for their passing football and Garry Monk has stuck with that philosophy, but now has also been slightly more direct than predecessors Roberto Martinez, Brendan Rodgers and Michael Laudrup.

That more direct style suits Gomis, who is superb in the air. Ayew has also got amongst the goals with head already this season. He is surprisingly good in the air for a relatively small guy.

Credit

Swansea boss Garry Monk deserves immense credit for the work he has done at the club. When he was first appointed as Swans boss there were question marks over whether he could maintain the progress the club had previously made.

However, not only does he have the team playing superb football, he has managed to attract the likes of Ayew and Gomis to south Wales. Signing like these are the sort that help a team move to the next level, which for Swansea could be challenging for a top six place, which they are odds of 3/1 to achieve this season.

Match

If the Swans forward pair and also winger Jefferson Montero can continue their current good form then the Welsh will be a match for anybody in the division.

Monk’s side have already draw 2-2 at champions Chelsea and now defeated Manchester United 2-1 at the Liberty Stadium. With their forward pairing combining too such a good effect the Swans are likely to cause more surprises this season.

Can Swansea’s front two maintain their excellent form this season?