Having finalized the decision to appoint previous caretaker boss Alan Sheehan on a permanent basis, Swansea City can now turn their attention towards a busy summer transfer window, and Jerry Yates is one man that could feature prominently in their decision-making process.
The 28-year-old Doncaster-born striker joined the Jacks in the summer of 2023 from Blackpool but was loaned out to newly promoted Derby County a year later after an underwhelming first season in South Wales.
However, when he was loaned out, that was with former Notts County boss Luke Williams at the helm at the Swansea.com Stadium. Now that Sheehan is in situ on a permanent basis, it could well be a different view that the club takes.
As Swansea already begin their summer with some heavy spending following the arrival of Zeidane Inoussa from Hacken for a fee believed to be in the region of £5 million, they also have a decision to make on the future of Yates.
Yates’ spell at Derby
In a team that only avoided relegation on the final day of the Championship campaign, Yates enjoyed something of an impressive season, with the former Rotherham United striker scoring ten goals in 42 appearances for a generally goal-shy Rams side.
Yates’ performance level at Derby may well be tempting enough for Swansea to reconsider their position, and it could well be that he finds himself back in the fold for Sheehan, having proven himself once again capable of scoring goals at the second-tier level.
Yates earned himself a move to Blackpool in the summer of 2020 after an impressive loan spell at Swindon Town, which had come at the end of his underwhelming Rotherham career.
He notched 20 goals in 44 appearances for the Seasiders as they gained promotion to the Championship, and he continued to be a threat at a higher level, too, with eight goals in 39 appearances in his first season as a second division player being followed by scoring 14 goals in 41 games in the 2022/23 season.
He endured something of an underwhelming time of it in his one season so far at Swansea, albeit he did still manage to get up to eight goals in the league for a side that finished 14th. He was their joint top scorer across all competitions, alongside Jamal Lowe, with nine strikes that season.
Swansea’s transfer plans
With Luka Modric becoming an investor at Swansea, there is some excitement about what may come from Swansea, and the outlay in Inoussa is already something that will intrigue supporters.
It also follows a trend of Swansea, much like a lot of clubs across the EFL, scouring the market abroad to try and find lower-cost or hidden gems, which was the case last year.
For example, Goncalo Franco, Eom Ji-sung, and Florian Bianchini joined from Moreirense, Gwangju, and Bastia last summer before Melker Widell was brought in from Aalborg in January.
One of those signings from abroad that may well have an impact on Yates would be Slovenia international striker Zan Vipotnik, who joined from Girondins de Bordeaux last summer.
With the potential departure of Vipotnik, another reasonably impressive campaign at Championship level from Yates, and the change in management at Swansea, it could well be that Yates finds himself back amongst it.
If he is once again deemed surplus to requirements, though, he will cost a fee this time with one year left on his contract, so Swansea is therefore unlikely to sanction a loan move.
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