In this final part of Premier League Transfer Window Preview we look at: Swansea, Tottenham, West Brom and West Ham.
Swansea- Last season was disappointing for the Swans as with the distraction of Europa League football their league form took a turn for the worse. This season they will be hoping to improve but that won't come easy after the loan of star man Miguel Michu to Napoli. They will need somebody to fill the void he left and especially if Wilfred Bony continues his great goalscoring form they may need somebody to replace him as well as he may well attract other suitors. The area they need to improve on is a second striker to play off Bony, creating space and chances for the Ivorian to score goals. A good target would be Burnley striker Danny Ings. After a superb season in the Championship he made a massive contribution to Burnley's return to the Premier League, scoring 22 goals in a dangerous partnership he struck up with Sam Vokes. The young Englishman used his blistering pace to turn over defences and his eye for goal to finish chances, so he would be a perfect acquisition for Swansea. Another target should be Aston Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor. Agbonlahor has a wealth of Premier League experience for Aston Villa and can use his pace to pull defenders attention away from a single striker to create openings for him and would be a very wise buy for Swansea.
Tottenham- Spurs did not have a very successful season last time out as all the new signings failed to gel and this cost both Andre Villas Boas and Tim Sherwood their jobs. New man Mauricio Pochettino has a reputation for attractive football and has made few but important buys so far this summer to shore up weak positions. Though Tottenham still only have three strikers and Roberto Soldado was poor last season and was unable to convert chances. So Tottenham still are in need of a striker to play upfront as Emmanuel Adebayor is in the twilight of his career and is unlikely to make another year or two at the very highest level. Likely targets would be Udinese's Antonio Di Natale who has somehow managed to stay under the radar in Italy but has scored plenty of goals in most season he plays in, the Italian would come with an instant goal threat with his pace and shooting capabilities. Also Manchester United's Javier Hernandez or Chicharito has always been an understudy at United but when he has played he has scored goals and troubled defences and he would be very willing to join Tottenham to play regular first team football and given the opportunity to score more regular goals.
West Brom- West Brom survived by the skin of their teeth last season and will be lucky to survive this time as well. They have brought in Joleon Lescott who is a good purchase but he will struggle to hold the defence together on his own. Their squad still looks like they will struggle to compete across all competitions, and are likely to be stretched thin by the Premier League alone. They need strengthening across the board but most crucially in defence, as if they ship goals they do not have the strikers to score the goals to compensate. A good target would be Wigan's Emerson Boyce who has played in a Premier League relegation dog fight many times so knows how to cope and also has the experience to help some of the younger players develop. Blackburn's Scott Dann who has also competed at the lower end of the Premiership many times so knows how to deal with defeat. He can marshal the defence and cover for Lescott with his awareness of the game.
West Ham- The Hammers had a tough last season but showed what you can do if a board sticks with their manager. So far this summer West Ham have made some informed purchases like Mauro Zarate and Cheikhou Kouyate, who can improve the squad without breaking the bank. Their squad looks like it could challenge in mid-table and could go even higher with a few more buys. They seem to need more creativity on the wings as Stewart Downing has not been able to cut it so far and Matt Jarvis hasn't been worth the price tag. A good target would be Manchester United's Wilfried Zaha. The young winger has trickery and pace on his side and with proper nurturing could become one of the world's best wingers in years to come. Sporting Lisbon's 26 year old Spanish winger Diego Capel is pacey and still has time to develop into one of the best wingers in the Premier League.
Swansea- Last season was disappointing for the Swans as with the distraction of Europa League football their league form took a turn for the worse. This season they will be hoping to improve but that won't come easy after the loan of star man Miguel Michu to Napoli. They will need somebody to fill the void he left and especially if Wilfred Bony continues his great goalscoring form they may need somebody to replace him as well as he may well attract other suitors. The area they need to improve on is a second striker to play off Bony, creating space and chances for the Ivorian to score goals. A good target would be Burnley striker Danny Ings. After a superb season in the Championship he made a massive contribution to Burnley's return to the Premier League, scoring 22 goals in a dangerous partnership he struck up with Sam Vokes. The young Englishman used his blistering pace to turn over defences and his eye for goal to finish chances, so he would be a perfect acquisition for Swansea. Another target should be Aston Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor. Agbonlahor has a wealth of Premier League experience for Aston Villa and can use his pace to pull defenders attention away from a single striker to create openings for him and would be a very wise buy for Swansea.
Tottenham- Spurs did not have a very successful season last time out as all the new signings failed to gel and this cost both Andre Villas Boas and Tim Sherwood their jobs. New man Mauricio Pochettino has a reputation for attractive football and has made few but important buys so far this summer to shore up weak positions. Though Tottenham still only have three strikers and Roberto Soldado was poor last season and was unable to convert chances. So Tottenham still are in need of a striker to play upfront as Emmanuel Adebayor is in the twilight of his career and is unlikely to make another year or two at the very highest level. Likely targets would be Udinese's Antonio Di Natale who has somehow managed to stay under the radar in Italy but has scored plenty of goals in most season he plays in, the Italian would come with an instant goal threat with his pace and shooting capabilities. Also Manchester United's Javier Hernandez or Chicharito has always been an understudy at United but when he has played he has scored goals and troubled defences and he would be very willing to join Tottenham to play regular first team football and given the opportunity to score more regular goals.
West Brom- West Brom survived by the skin of their teeth last season and will be lucky to survive this time as well. They have brought in Joleon Lescott who is a good purchase but he will struggle to hold the defence together on his own. Their squad still looks like they will struggle to compete across all competitions, and are likely to be stretched thin by the Premier League alone. They need strengthening across the board but most crucially in defence, as if they ship goals they do not have the strikers to score the goals to compensate. A good target would be Wigan's Emerson Boyce who has played in a Premier League relegation dog fight many times so knows how to cope and also has the experience to help some of the younger players develop. Blackburn's Scott Dann who has also competed at the lower end of the Premiership many times so knows how to deal with defeat. He can marshal the defence and cover for Lescott with his awareness of the game.
West Ham- The Hammers had a tough last season but showed what you can do if a board sticks with their manager. So far this summer West Ham have made some informed purchases like Mauro Zarate and Cheikhou Kouyate, who can improve the squad without breaking the bank. Their squad looks like it could challenge in mid-table and could go even higher with a few more buys. They seem to need more creativity on the wings as Stewart Downing has not been able to cut it so far and Matt Jarvis hasn't been worth the price tag. A good target would be Manchester United's Wilfried Zaha. The young winger has trickery and pace on his side and with proper nurturing could become one of the world's best wingers in years to come. Sporting Lisbon's 26 year old Spanish winger Diego Capel is pacey and still has time to develop into one of the best wingers in the Premier League.