Swansea City are pursuing two more deals before the week ends with Harrison Ashby of Newcastle United and Kristian Pedersen of FC Köln near the top of Michael Duff’s transfers in list. Pedersen was rumoured to be in Swansea yesterday.
It has been a necessary rebuilding of the Swans squad this summer and these two defenders will most certainly add options as the new season starts. It’s understood that Ashby who can also play further forwards on the right required some extra time after coming back from the USA on the weekend. However, that didn’t hamper Carl Rushworth who was also in the states with his side Brighton. He signed on for a season long loan yesterday afternoon. Both Newcastle and Brighton faced each other in the USA on Friday night.
In Ashby’s case speculation that Leeds United have hijacked any deal is just that although it’s a time for clubs to be ruthless and positive in the Championship with just days to go before the new season starts. In a world of rumour and outright speculation we have to remain careful with the information that’s compiled at this point of the summer. The fact is if a player chooses a club closer to home or possibly with more opportunity then that’s their choice.
With Mykola Kuharevich joining the Swans on a permanent deal yesterday from Troyes in France a third player ( at least ) should be holding a Swansea shirt for the cameras this week. Two more in would be a real statement of intent. What Duff has to do then is quickly mould his first choice eleven which will most certainly feature new faces this Saturday in the opening game of the season against Birmingham City. (kick off 3pm) at the Swansea.com stadium.
Michael Duff has urged caution on numerous occasions over the last seven days regards player speculation as their medicals especially may not always go to plan. In Mykola’s case he has had a few years of injury but clearly all is well after a lengthy and stringent medical yesterday as we reported. David Fevre of the football medical association explained to four four two. "If someone is set to join a club with a history of medical issues on their professional CV, it’s likely that the player will need more in-depth testing. That’s when a trip to the nearest hospital may be on the cards for an ultrasound scan - or similar - where state of the art equipment can provide a full picture of the muscles, joints and bones in the team’s (possible) new investment” In itself a football transfer medical has to cover every facet of an athletes body, and it can take hours, even days. Overall there are six elements and they are extremely focussed and rigid to a point, but they also must include fluidity.
Fevre and Roy Keane at Manchester United
Fevre continued, "Every footballer is different, so too is every football medical. The requirements of the club, the brief from the manager, the age, position, medical and injury history of the player – all of these variables will change every time. There’s no standard medical as such – every club has its own way of doing things. Usually a player being transferred to a club will undergo a two-day medical, although when it comes to transfer deadline day, time isn’t always a luxury you can afford. But in both cases, the role of the team physiotherapist, club doctor and fitness team is to provide as much information to the manager and the club’s executives in order for them to make the final call”
At the end of a medical a risk assessment is supplied to the clubs decision makers and the players future is then on the hands of others. There may well have been a third medical at Swansea yesterday that has run in to today as Fevre has already explained. Either way you can be rest assured the Indy will be across all the information and add plenty of context to each and every news report. Running a football website isn’t generally about breaking news stories, it’s about researching the news that could well be already known. Lost on some we know, but those who visit us every day for the latest information will know exactly what we mean.
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