Garry Monk has had a brilliant summer and one of the things that made it so is the fact that he has managed to keep hold of the squad that took his side to a record breaking 8th placed finish last season.

You would have forgiven the Swans boss for being nervous when the curtain came down on last season having just watched his side secure that best ever Premier League finish and with rumours already circulating that clubs were going to come in for his stars.

But the rumoured interest never really materialised and we now stand just one more sleep away from the new season with the squad looking stronger than it has ever been with four new arrivals and no departures of note for us to worry about.

Interest in Ashley Williams, Nathan Dyer, Jonjo Shelvey and Lukasz Fabianski amongst others has come to nothing and the Swans go into a fifth Premier League season knowing that they know have the foundations to push on and maybe, just maybe, we are on the brink of something special again.

Monk believes that the area and the club together make this a great place to be and that is one of the reason why people don't leave in a hurry.

He said “I'd be lying if I said it's not in the back of your mind when you have a good season - but I was never worried.

“The players have good contracts, have a good way of living down here and it's a great club to be at.

“And finishing where we did last year means there's not a lot of options for them to step upwards. They see that and know it and that's why they are committed.

“Plus, how we did last season gives them motivation to show they can improve and go forward which is our drive for the season.”

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