There are not many clubs who have established themselves as a major force in English football in a short time after their promotion to the Premier League. Swansea City and Southampton were few of the clubs who did that, and are the benchmarks for the rest. However, the Welsh side look to be on their way down and needs serious inspiration to retain their Premier League status.
The good work the likes of Brendan Rodgers and Michael Laudrup had done at the Liberty Stadium could all go in vain if Swansea fail to survive by the end of the season.
Swansea have been struggling this season and find themselves 19th in the table after 11 game weeks with just 5 points to their name. Francesco Guidolin became the first Premier League manager to be sacked this term and was replaced by Bob Bradley but that has not changed the Welsh club’s fortunes. They need to save their season and that’s why it’s quite natural to see Swansea City looking for reinforcements in January.
Wales Online claims that Swansea are interested in Leicester City striker Leonardo Ulloa but will face a battle with fellow strugglers Sunderland. One of the many reasons behind Swansea’s struggles this campaign is the poor form of their strikers. New signings Fernando Llorente and Borja Baston have only managed two goals in 16 league games combined this term which is far from impressive.
Both Llorente and Baston are quality strikers but are struggling in their maiden season in the Premier League. English football is much different from Spanish and Italian (in Llorente’s case) football and the duo taking their time to find their feet is understandable. However, that is turning out to be costly for the Swans and if things do not improve soon, the Welsh club could well be in the second tier.
Ulloa is a proven striker in the Premier League and also won the title with the Foxes last season. The Argentine was once the club record signing at the King Power Stadium and had a decent debut season in the top tier. He wasn’t a regular starter last season but played a decent role for the team off the bench in their title win but has not managed a single start this season since the arrival of now club record signing Islam Slimani.
Ulloa is a target man by trade with his excellent abilities in the air. Even though his 7 Premier League appearances this season have all been from the bench, he has still won 1.3 aerial balls every game which speaks volumes about his superiority in the air. Neither Baston nor Llorente has done well this season but Ulloa’s arrival at the Liberty Stadium could help the Swans switch to two strikers up front.
The Argentine excels in a 2-man forward line. Leicester City usually play two up front and Swansea should also do the same with Ulloa on board. The Argentine’s 75.8% passing accuracy is quite impressive for a striker and he can create a good partnership with either Llorente or Baston up front.
Ulloa has a knack of tracking back to help out his defenders and also is a good finisher. With his Premier League experience, going for Ulloa would be a no-brainer for Swansea.
