Swansea City has completed the signing of midfielder Olivier Ntcham on a free transfer, subject to international clearance and EFL approval. The 25-year-old becomes the ninth signing of the summer after putting pen to paper on a three-year contract, and will add experience and quality to Russell Martin’s options in the middle of the park. Ntcham, capped by France at age-grade level up to the under-21s, was snapped up by Manchester City’s academy – where current Swans’ sporting director Mark Allen was director at the time - from Le Havre in 2012. Aged just 16 when he made the move to the Etihad, Ntcham went on to spend two seasons playing in Serie A on loan at Genoa. He made 40 appearances for Il Grifone as they finished 11th and 16th in the Italian top-flight. A move to Celtic to work under former Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers followed in the summer of 2017, and Ntcham would quickly become a key figure in a period of utter domination for the Parkhead club. He won eight trophies in three seasons under Rodgers and his successor Neil Lennon, made up of three Scottish Premiership titles, two Scottish Cup and two Scottish League Cups. Ntcham made 146 appearances in total for the Bhoys, scoring 24 goals and gaining considerable European experience in the Champions League and Europa League. He had a short stint on loan at Marseille last term, before leaving Celtic at the end of the 2020-21 season.
Nothing to do with the transfer window - The Big Match Revisited (8 December 1974) is on ITV 4 now. The main game is Spurs v Newcastle. Tony Bell was making his Newcastle debut in goal - no I can’t remember him either - a day to forget: https://www.themag.co.uk/2021/06/ne...d-after-white-hart-lane-experience-tony-bell/
Olivier Ntcham free transfer? That sounds about right for the Liberty boardroom, though with a FIFA rating of 73, there will surely need to be some improvement, I give my cautious approval to this one, as he does come with a few good seasons in Series A for Genoa, now that's the positive!...... right the guy has serious concentration issues, got a huge roasting in the french media while playing for Marseille in the French Cup in March of this year, he clearly needs a fresh start, and that's where we come in, and to end my opinion on a high, Brendan Rodgers saw something in him, and his forward passing is his strength, but this is a gamble for sure.............
Rhys Williams is 6ft 5" so he certainly provides some height, Ntcham hopefully will provide some muscle in midfield, he won't be knocked off the ball too easily. Optimistic about them both.
I actually think we have done some tidy business late on, I was not a Lowe fan and not to bothered he has gone and clearly Martin didn’t fancy him either. Martins coming in gives us that alternative oto Piroe. Great signing at the back in Williams and we look really strong in the middle of midfield with lots of options. My only slight worry is options out wide either as a wing back or as an out and out winger. Especially with roberts going.
Walsh and Smith should both be challenging for a midfield spot. Equally, Manning as the left wing wing back?
Let's not forget Whittaker! The boy knows where the onion bag is, my kind of player who makes scoring goals look easy.........
“Transfer Deadline Day is always a day to mark on the football calendar; the frenetic pace of change and the last-minute announcements provide a great spectacle for football fans. It’s also a day that many Swans fans wish would come and go by quickly and quietly. It is however a reality for our club that we will be subject to bids for our players – ultimately this reflects well on the club’s ability to identify and develop players, and give those players the opportunity to play in the first team early in their careers. We should be proud of that. Whilst naturally we are disappointed to see a number of core first-team players depart, we are also excited for the opportunities this will provide for others, as well as for those who have joined the club. We would like to place on record our sincere thanks to hometown lad Connor Roberts and Jamal Lowe, who were integral to our promotion push last season. They have both created a legacy here that won’t soon be forgotten. We would also like to place on record our thanks to George Byers, who left earlier in the summer window. We wish them all the best for the future. The Trust would like to welcome Rhys Williams, Michael Obafemi, and Olivier Ntcham to the club – each has a strong track record of success and we are sure they will blend well into the young squad and those already brought in throughout the summer, with Flynn Downes, Joel Piroe, Jamie Paterson, and Ethan Laird already seeing significant minutes on the pitch. We are hopeful of the impact that Liam Walsh and Kyle Joseph can make further down the line as well. Credit must go to Andy Scott and his team, along with Julian Winter, for their hard work in bringing players in to supplement the squad. We hope the new additions will give Russell Martin the tools he needs to continue implementing his stylish brand of football, which we believe will pay dividends on the pitch and on our standing in the Championship table.” Swansea City Supporters’ Trust
Blimey Taff are you in the DeLorian again There are some real midfield headache selections for the three midfield places with Smith, Paterson and Walsh on top of those in the suggested line up.
I was thinking the same with that number, too much excitement in his old age maybe...................
Back in June I was offered a season ticket for £245 from the club via email, was tempted to purchase but then thought about covid, will there be restrictions in numbers attending? will there be vaccine passport requirements? and then thought bugger this for a game of soldiers and didn't bother, wierd times for sure, my sons want to get to games so maybe will just rejoin the jack army for tickets, think I can afford £25 Jack Army membership..........
