Swansea City transfer state of play as club hold talks with targets and Leeds United muscle in on duo

The transfer window is set to open tomorrow, and recruitment plans up and down the EFL are likely to kick up a notch ahead of the new season.

There can't be many clubs facing as large a rebuild as the Swans in this window, and supporters will understandably be hoping to see some movement soon.

Luke Williams has once again stressed his positivity heading into the next couple of months, and says talks with potential signings have already taken place.

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“I can tell you I have sat with players in person and I have had several meetings with players on the laptop,” the Swansea head coach told the BBC this week.

“We have put together information excellently to show the players, to show them the levels we as a club have gone to in order to recognise them.

“That gives you some indication that we are on the front foot and trying to be aggressive in the market place.”

However, there isn't much in the way of names so far. Indeed, the club appear to be doing a decent job in keeping many of their targets out of the spotlight. Players have still been linked, but there doesn't appear to have been anything imminent at this stage, although it's worth remembering that hardly any business has been completed in the Championship. The market, overall, remains a little sluggish, which is pretty normal for this time of year.

Sporting director Paul Watson has been at the heart of a substantial upheaval of Swansea's recruitment department, headed up by former Burnley head of recruitment Martin Hodge. After largely missing the mark last summer, he will know there's little margin for error this time around.

A striker remains at the top of the wishlist, with the club still sporting a gaping Joel Piroe-shaped hole up front. St Johnstone's Adama Sidibeh is among the names suggested, although reports in Scotland claim there hasn't yet been an approach for the former non-league ace.

There's also been links to Blackburn Rovers' Sam Gallagher, although his potential wage demands mean there are already doubts over whether a move is feasible.

Macaulay Langstaff, meanwhile, is a name very much on the radar given his exploits under Williams at Notts County. The Magpies have made the striker captain ahead of the new season, presumably in a bid to keep him at Meadow Lane. But there's every chance Swansea may look to test their resolve before the close of the window.

That's before we come on to the question of Jerry Yates and Mykola Kuharevich, both of whom could well be moved on should the right offer present itself in this window.

The same goes for defender Nathan Wood, who appears the most likely asset to be sold. The defender was the subject of interest from Southampton towards the end of last summer, with the Swans batting away two substantial bids, one of which was believed to be around £10m.

It seems unlikely they'll get that sort of money now. Wood has one year left on his current deal, and there appears to be little chance of tying him down to something long term.

As such, the club are bracing themselves for bids this summer, although it remains to be seen whether former boss Russell Martin will be interested in reviving Saints' interest.

Questions are also still hanging over the future of Jamie Paterson, whose contract runs out at the end of the month. A deal is currently on the table for the 32-year-old, but it's understood he is still considering his options. Paterson has previously indicated he'd like to stay, but clearly the terms will have to be right for him to put pen to paper.

It therefore remains to be seen whether he will pull on a Swans shirt again. The same can be said goalkeeper Carl Rushworth.

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The Brighton & Hove Albion loanee enjoyed a hugely successful loan spell with the Swans last season, and there's no shortage of enthusiasm for bringing him back. Williams has already tempered expectations, admitting that possible interest from elsewhere means a move is looking less likely.

But Rushworth is understood to have hugely enjoyed his time in south Wales, and news of a new deal for goalkeeping coach Martyn Margetson, with whom the youngster enjoyed a strong relationship, might just have slightly boosted their chances.

Nothing is likely to be decided until Brighton appoint a successor to Roberto De Zerbi. St Pauli's Fabian Hurzeler looks set to be the man to take over, but he may well take his time in assessing his new squad, and Rushworth will surely be a part of those considerations.

Nevertheless, it's impossible to completely close the door on a return to the Swans at this point.

As it turns out, there's still a chance Przemyslaw Placheta could yet return. The winger is currently still working his way back from a hamstring injury, and remains at Fairwood as he continues his rehabilitation.

Concerns over his injury record meant a new deal beyond his initial three-month contract was considered unlikely. But comments made by the Swans boss this week suggest his contributions towards the end of the season might well have been enough to propel him back into view.

A winger is certainly likely to be near the top of the list. The club have been keen admirers of Excelsior winger Couhaib Driouech since a failed pursuit in January, but a move appears to be increasingly unlikely.

PSV Eindhoven, who also made moves to try to sign him January, have also been very keen, but their reluctance to meet Excelsior's valuation has creaked the door open for others, including Championship rivals Leeds United, who also appear to be pushing for a loan move for centre-back Alfie Gilchrist.

The Chelsea youngster was tentatively linked with a move to the Swans recently, although there's no real indication that he's a serious target at this stage. Cameron Humphreys is another another name tipped to have caught the eye, but the Swans would like face competition from a number of other clubs should they wish to complete a move.

See also Aberdeen midfielder Connor Barron, who appears to have an ever-lengthening list of admirers from these shores and in Serie A. Swansea looked at trying to sign the 21-year-old towards the end of the January window, but were rebuffed by the Dons.

With his contract up this summer, there had been some hope that the Swans might look to revive their interest, but he now appears to be edging closer to a move to Scottish giants Rangers.

It seems the Swans may have to look elsewhere, and having been successful in their move for Brazilian Ronald, they will likely widen their net and look at foreign markets for potential solutions.

The free agent market is also something the Swans will likely explore, with Williams understood to be keen on adding more experience to his squad. The club have previously claimed they won't be as dependent on loans in this window. But with finances still tight, it seems likely they will still be an important part of their plans.

Interestingly, the minutes from the latest Swansea City Supporters' Trust meeting, claim loans are more likely to be completed late on in the window, meaning there could well be a flurry of late activity again.

In short, there isn't really a position Swansea aren't looking to strengthen to some extent this summer. An enormous amount of work lies ahead.