Swansea City have been linked with a move for Inter Milan defender Andrea Ranocchia as new manager Paul Clement strives to bring the club out of a deep rut they find themselves in right now.
Swansea have already sacked 2 managers this season as an unprecedented slump in form sees them stuck on 15 points from 20 games in the 19th spot. Hull City are doing them a favour by being in a horrible run of form which has made sure that the Swans do not remain at the bottom.
Francesco Guidolin relieved of his duties after a dismal run of results but he might have considered himself unlucky with a string of fixtures pitting them against the top team one after the other. The board then took a surprising decision to appoint American Bob Bradley, who understandably had no prior experience in the Premier League.
The decision was baffling, to say the least, and what transpired was pretty much what the fans had dreaded. With a team which was clearly lacking in the requisite amount of quality, he could not offer anything new and by the time the board realised that they had messed up, Swansea were in dire straits.
Clement has come in and he has straightaway spoken about bolstering the team in the transfer window. Although he did acknowledge the need to evaluate the players at his disposal before making any decision regarding their future, signings are imminent.
”We are looking at the potential of adding to the squad in the transfer window”
“I’ve discussed that with the owners already. But before that, I quickly need to look at the players already here and get them playing up to or close to their potential – and get some good results.
“Obviously improving the team defensively is a priority. All the clubs I’ve been involved with, the style of attacking football comes from a base of good defending.”
And hence the links with the Italian.
Born in Assisi in the province of Perugia, Ranocchia started his career at Perugia then in Arezzo. Ranocchia played for Arezzo’s Primavera team in 2005–06 season. He made his professional debut with the Arezzo senior side in Serie B under manager Antonio Conte during the 2006–07 season.
After spells at Bari and Genoa, he was brought on board by Inter in 2010. After a 5-year period, he was moved on loan to Sampdoria on 28 January 2016.
Ranocchia has been described as a large, strong, and physically imposing centre back. His tactical sense and his positioning have also been lauded. He is a good tackler but the area of his expertise which has gotten him the most praise is his aerial ability which will hold him in excellent stead in the League.
The set-piece prowess of Sigurdsson is one of the most lethal in England and the defender will provide an upgrade to all the players they have in the backline.
