Swansea City have signed Real Betis midfielder Jose Canas to a pre-contract deal that will be ratified once the transfer window opens on July 1.
Canas arrives at The Liberty Stadium after a successful stint with Betis has come to an end with the expiration of his contract. The 26 year old plays as a holding midfielder and is well-known for his battering tackles and seamless distribution of the ball on the counter-attacks. These characteristics made him a fixture in Pepe Mel’s side, making 27 appearances over the course of the season.
The Swans capture Canas cost-free as his contract is set to expire in the coming weeks. Michael Laudrup’s gain is Betis’ loss after the Verdiblancos turned down a £843,000 bid from Swansea this past January, believing they needed to hold on to the player to ensure qualification for Europe.
Canas joins the Swans as they prepare for their first European experience next campaign, after Laudrup’s side qualified for the Europa League by winning the League Cup.
Signing Canas should help deflate the recent tension in South Wales between Laudrup and chairman Huw Jenkins over the level of transfer funds available for the Danish manager. Following the announcement of Canas’ signing, Jenkins said:Myself, the manager and our recruitment staff are all agreed on the quality of players we would like to sign to help us remain competitive in the Barclays Premier League.
We are continuing to work behind the scenes, in private wherever and whenever we can, to strengthen our squad.
For that reason it’s disappointing that I have to respond to the speculation of unrest at the club after the fantastic season we have had.
There are substantial funds available to strengthen our squad over the summer while we are also in the privileged position, because of the way we’ve managed our finances over the years, that we do not need to sell anyone to fund those new recruits.
Canas becomes the fifth Spaniard to sign with Swansea after Chico Flores, Pablo Hernandez and Michu all came on board under Laudrup, while Angel Rangel has been with the club since 2007. Canas will compete with Ki Sung-Yeung and Leon Britton for a role in the pivot that Laudrup utilizes in his 4-2-3-1 scheme.
While Canas is an effective player that will have an impact at the Liberty, he’s unlikely to unseat either of the old guard but rather spell them late in matches or on days of heavy fatigue, which is bound to happen as Swansea begins their Thursday night stints in Europe.