FanView: A Deeper Look Into the Potential Troubles Swansea Could Face by Signing Dominic Solanke

Dominic Solanke joined Liverpool at the end of last season under the assumption that he would slot straight into the number nine role (more or less). He enjoyed a brilliant summer, winning the golden ball at the U20 World Cup as England emerged victorious. His pre-season with Liverpool was just as promising, finding the back of the net on a few occasions ahead of the Premier League campaign.

All in all, Solanke looked like an incredible move by the Reds, stealing him for free from Chelsea. But that's about where the fairy-tale ended for the 20-year-old. Fast forward to the end of November and he's managed only 85 minutes in the Premier League since. 

In recent weeks, relegation strugglers Swansea have been linked with his name as a January loan signing (presumably until the end of the season). Now, while this would seem a good move for all parties, there's a few underlying problems within this - should it happen, of course.

In particular, the effects that this move would have on Swansea. As it stands, the club already have one loaned striker (Solanke's good friend Tammy Abraham), two attackers who have severely underwhelmed this season in Jordan Ayew and Wilfried Bony, one youth product by the way of Oli Mcburnie, and finally, Borja Baston - who is off in Malaga having a torrid time at the foot of La Liga.

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Short term, it would be a great move for the Swans. Four players (five including McBurnie) fighting for two available slots on the team-sheet; that creates much desired healthy competition between players, and could well fire the team out of relegation trouble. However, when you go deeper into it, you see problems. Both Liverpool and Chelsea (Abraham's parent club) would demand as much play time as possible for their players; that would leave Bony - someone on sky high wages, and a hugely influential figure who is expecting to be treated like one - on the bench.

So that's one unhappy striker. McBurnie, who is already frustrated at his loan deal falling through at the start of the season will see Solanke arrive and become even more frustrated at his lack of chances in the squad - stuck in the U23's. Jordan Ayew won't get a look in - harsh on someone who, despite his lack of final product, has worked his socks off since summer.

So while on the face of it, initially signing Solanke might seem brilliant, it leaves the club with three frustrated permanent players, and two happy loan strikers (presuming they're actually scoring). You can see how this effects the long term, can't you? Summer arrives, Solanke and Abraham return to their respective clubs. Bony, Ayew and McBurnie have had six months of little to no football, which has followed six months of poor performances. Morale is low, confidence is lower. 

Borja returns and the club now have four players who can't cut it at the top level. Is there a bleaker looking future? The only option would be to shift the dead wood, surely? Paul Clement would be able to get McBurnie out on loan, that's one gone. On the other hand, Ayew and Bony will have impressed no one over the last year or so and would be difficult to sell.

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Meanwhile, if they're kept at the club they'll know that there is no faith in them from the manager - having been stuck on the bench since January. Borja's now back in Swansea, having enjoyed a torrid season in Spain, and quite frankly, it leaves the attacking options looking a mess.

If Solanke joins Abraham at Swansea in the winter transfer period, it will leave the South Wales outfit in one hell of a rut once they leave. The reliance on the two loan strikers will be too great and it's easy to see the club suffering long term as a result.

With Renato Sanches on loan as well, that would be three key players out of the starting XI that will be gone, with no transfer fee received at all. Think about how that would resonate. Gylfi Sigurdsson and Fernando Llorente left the club in the summer - that has had a disastrous effect on the team, and Swansea still received £55m from those deals in total.

Signing Solanke would please fans, it may even make the difference between staying in the Premier League and getting relegated. But Swansea must think long term on that - because the fans are fed up of their club being in the current mess that its in.