Swansea City boss Garry Monk may have lost some defense, but the way he’s loading up on offense almost makes it feel like a moot point.
Ecuador attacker Jefferson Montero has signed a four-year deal to join the Welsh side, making him the fifth new face to join Monk’s Swans this offseason.
Montero comes from Liga MX side Morelia, where he helped the club earn promotion with 10 goals over 63 matches since arriving in 2012. The 24-year-old has also been capped 43 times for Ecuador, scoring eight goals. He previously spent 2009-2012 in the Villarreal program, with loan spells at Levante and Betis.
[ RELATED: Better deal - Sigurdsson and cash or Vorm and Davies ]
Swansea just lost goalkeeper Michel Vorm and defender Ben Davies to Tottenham in a swap deal for creative force Gylfi Sigurdsson (and cash). And between Montero, Sigurdsson and French striker Bafetimbi Gomis, Swans are going to be able to move forward.
Of course it’s possible the new signings are all preludes to the departures of big-scoring Ivorian forward Wilfried Bony and mercurial English midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, but Monk has at-worst secured strong replacements in attack.
Swans have also added former loan forward Marvin Emnes and young Scottish back Stephen Kingsley.
The sheer number of midtable teams -- Stoke City, Swansea, West Ham and Newcastle alone -- making progress should make the competition much better than last season, when Manchester United, Newcastle and Southampton felt little heat from behind.