3 potential British Williams replacements for Swansea
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Swansea manager Francesco Guidolin insists his club are scouring his native Italy in search of a replacement for former captain Ashley Williams, but with the Liberty Stadium reaching its quota of overseas players, the 60-year-old’s scouts ought to be looking closer to home.
Here are three British centre-halves they might be able to tempt to South Wales before the transfer window closes.
James Collins
The 32-year-old’s time in the heart of West Ham’s defence could be coming to a conclusion, with boss Slaven Bilic preferring 17-year-old Reece Oxford in the Irons’ past two Europa League matches against Domzale and Astra Giurgiu.
Collins started and scored an equaliser on Premier League opening weekend away to Chelsea, but with Oxford apparently seeking first-team assurances before signing a new contract, and Italy Euro 2016 centre-half Angelo Ogbonna also pushing for minutes, the veteran looks the odd man out.
He’s Welsh, and at exactly a year older than Williams, Collins would be a fine medium-term replacement.
Lewis Dunk
Brighton are on the verge of replacing Dunk with another 24-year-old 6ft 4in centre-half, Blackburn’s Shane Duffy, with a £4m bid reportedly accepted by the one-time Premier League champions.
That should hasten the local boy’s departure, with West Brom, Newcastle, Sunderland and Crystal Palace all thought keen on Dunk, whose price could creep past £10m by summer’s end.
Flush from Williams’ sale, Swansea could quite easily get involved.
Jamaal Lascelles
Guidolin could test Newcastle opposite number Rafa Benitez’s desire to keep his new captain, sensationally dropped ahead of the Geordies’ first victory of the Championship campaign – a 4-1 defeat of Reading at St James’ Park.
Despite the 22-year-old’s current issues, Lascelles was one of few Newcastle players to come out of their 2015/16 relegation nightmare with any credit and has been talked of as a potential future England regular in a position the Three Lions have struggled to fill of late.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
