TRANSFER DEADLINE DAY: Ayew joins as Taylor heads to Villa
31st January
Swansea City have completed the signing of Aston Villa forward Jordan Ayew in an exchange deal which sees Neil Taylor join the Championship club.
The Swans will also pay an undisclosed fee as part of the transfer, with Ayew signing a three-and-a-half year contract at the Liberty.
Ayew is currently with Ghana on African Cup of Nations duty, and won't be available for the Swans until his national team's commitments in the tournament are over. The Black Stars next face Cameroon in the semi-final on Thursday, while the final takes place this Sunday.
The 25-year-old, who is the brother of former Swan Andre Ayew, scored 10 goals - including one against his new club - in 58 games for Villa, who he joined from French side Lorient in July 2015.
"I'm sure his brother has given him the inside track on the club," said Swans head coach Paul Clement.
"He is a very good acquisition. He's versatile and dynamic to attack the lines and get in behind defences.
"He will certainly give us something different to what we've got."
Taylor's departure ends a successful six-and-a-half year association with the Swans.
The left-back moved to the Liberty from non-league club Wrexham in 2010, with Taylor's first season at the Swans ending with promotion to the Premier League.
While a serious ankle injury hampered his second season in the top flight, he remained a solid and reliable figure as the Swans continually retained their Premier League status.
The 27-year-old leaves the Swans having played 179 games in the Premier League, Championship, domestic cups and the Europa League, with his last appearance coming in the 2-1 win at Crystal Palace earlier this month.
On the international front, the St Asaph-born defender has 38 caps for Wales - and scored in their run to the Euro 2016 semi-finals - while he also represented Great Britain at the London Olympics in 2012.
"Neil has been a great servant for this club. I had a really nice discussion with him about his position," added Clement.
"He said he wanted to take this opportunity and I supported that. It's the right time for him to have a new challenge and we wish him all the best."
Everyone at Swansea City would like to thank Neil for his outstanding service to the club.
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