Steve Cooper and Swansea City looking to utilise loan market

20th August
First team
Steve Cooper Mike Marsh training

Steve Cooper says Swansea City will continue to look to utilise the loan market during the current transfer window, having recently sealed their first two signings ahead of the 2020-21 season.

Midfielder Korey Smith joined the Swans as a free agent after leaving Bristol City, while goalkeeper Freddie Woodman has returned to SA1 for a second season-long loan spell.

Swansea and Cooper made highly effective use of the loan market last season, with the likes of Rhian Brewster, Conor Gallagher, Marc Guehi, Sam Surridge and Woodman among those to make an impact over a campaign which saw the club reach the play-offs.

The successes of those loan spells have ensured Swansea find themselves viewed by the Premier League elite as an ideal environment for their players.

And, with Cooper clear in his desire to kick on from last season, he expects the recruitment process to again see Swansea make use of the loan system.

Korey Smith Home

“The first thing about the window is I want us to see it as an opportunity to improve and change things around,” said the head coach.

“With players out of contract and previous loans at an end, this is an opportunity to be creative and bring in players identified by our recruitment process, headed by Andy Scott.

“We go with the idea to improve and evolve the good things that are going on.

“We know we are going to have to use the loan market again. The long-term vision would be to produce players ourselves, and have players signed on longer-term contracts and building consistency.

“We are not at that stage yet, but on the basis the loans have gone well a lot of the bigger clubs are looking at us and thinking it’s a good place to place their players.

Steve Cooper Freddie Woodman

“That is good because we benefit from that in getting players we really want, and we hope that is the case again.

“We are in a position where we do get contacted first by the bigger clubs to see if we would be interested in a player, and that shows the work we are doing and the way we play is seen as a good fit for their young players.

“The boys who have been here said how much they enjoyed their time, so that has been a positive and we hope that can continue to be the case.”