You won’t get anything of note from a football club during any transfer window unless it comes with a caveat that it is in their interest for certain things to be mentioned, proposed or even disregarded as a result of information given. Swansea City have a very tight unit of those who have access to information and any leak is easily traced.
With Recruitment Director, Adam Worth working with Chairman, Tom Gorringe and a complete blackout of any contact with journalists when it comes to transfer window information - if you want an edge you have to be guided from elsewhere. The last transfer window presented the club with too many leaks and with those leaks now plugged as certain staff no longer work at Swansea there needs to be a determination to ask the right questions and not seek yes or no answers. What you need is information as a result of open questions designed to prompt then at least you get some form of clarity.
And as we have stated before, agents and intermediaries know absolutely everything there is to know, even things - unless you operate in that field that you would never think of. That has been our learning curve over the past few years. It has often been mentioned to us that certain journalists don’t value a more extended relationship with agents, and therefore operate at the levels they do. They often disguise their reports to make them seem knowledgable but when examined they tell you absolutely nothing.
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi currently tied to Çaykur Rizespor in Türkiye on loan from Crystal Palace has been a player that certain outlets and individuals have mentioned as being of interest to Swansea this January window. On that we can put it this way, any Championship club would be interested in the twenty three year old. We have been told that he enjoyed his time at Sheffield United but that was last season and the possibility is he would see going back at this stage as a backward step. Blades boss, Chris Wilder has steadied the ship though. Coventry City are also regarded as being interested but again that comes with issues taking two loan players from Palace. They are also interested in ex Millwall player, Romain Esse who hasn’t seen as much game time as he would like at Selhurst Park.
This would be a loan deal. The Sky Blues also have a vested interest in Yang Min-hyeok at Spurs.
Breaking down the information we have is that (some reported by Football Insider) Palace will not let two players leave on loan to the same club. That means the Sky Blues have to make a choice and our information is that Romain Else would be their preferred choice. Also, looking at their league position they basically need nine wins from the rest of the season to go up automatically. With Rak-Sakyi most certainly to be on loan somewhere for the rest of the season this means the Swans have to counter a variety of hurdles.
The first thing is the balance of the loan considering the profit and sustainability position of Swansea City. They will be the only people aware of what is possible financially, and also how that fits in with a free agent defender currently of interest. We first reported the interest in a defender below in an exclusive report.
And then updated it here.
At the time we divulged enough information to quite easily identify the player as Joel Ward, out of contract from Crystal Palace since the summer. That information is now out so there is no harm now in naming him. Going back to the Swans finances that’s another consideration. Ward has had talks, as we stated that happened after the Swans defeated West Bromwich Albion on New Years Day and took place in a well known Swansea hotel. The issues are with that is he is used to Premier League wages, so does that conflict with the outlay for a player like Jesurun Rak-Sakyi ? Things could happen that make it easier, the return of Manuel Benson to Burnley as an example or indeed any of the other three on loan Premier League players. That frees up money in the immediate.
Securing Joel Ward isn’t as much of a problem, (he is seen as back up to Josh Key) as signing Jesurun Rak-Sakyi on loan. Once Ward downgrades his salary expectations for a contract to the end of the season that is. There may be a bit to go. This will all boil down to money, not personal matters or private issues, just money. We have been told that Palace manager, Oliver Glasner respects Swansea City and is aware of what the club are striving to achieve this season. The clubs recent history won’t be lost on any manager operating at any level in world football. Oliver Glasner Is aware but the issue is Jesurun Rak-Sakyi and his agent.
Then of course the loan terms, it won’t be cheap.
What does the player want and what agenda does his agent bring with him (in this case) ? That’s an issue that nobody knows, a glance at the league table will tell a lot of watchers that the Swans are not in pole position. This is down to Tom Gorringe and Adam Worth and their skills learned from as recent as their dealings with the likes of Kim Hellberg to overcome.
The Swans are active and very much looking to secure two signings this January window.
**Joel Cotterill has been recalled from his loan spell at Bristol Rovers.