Despite poor form, Swansea City shouldn’t regret replacing Bafetimbi Gomis with Borja Baston

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The Spaniard has endured a forgettable debut season with Swansea City – but Gomis didn’t fare much better.

Where would Swansea City be without Fernando Llorente this season? Well, a lot closer to the bottom three in all probability. The Spaniard endured a slow start to life in English football with Francisco Guidolin and Bob Bradley seemingly nonplussed about how to utilise the former Juventus and Athletic Bilbao striker’s considerable aerial strengths.

Fortunately, Paul Clement hasn’t had the same problem; going back to basics and signing two superb crossers of the ball in Martin Olsson and Tom Carroll.

Though Llorente has only scored in three of Clement’s nine Premier League games in charge of the South Wales club, the six points he earned with braces against Liverpool and Burnley could make all the difference come May.

However, the statistics suggest that Swansea’s chances of avoiding relegation would have been vastly increased had they not loaned Bafetimbi Gomis out to Marseille in the summer.

With 16 goals in 23 Ligue 1 starts for a side that has spent most of the season performing well below expectations, the former France international has scored more times this season than in his two previous campaigns in South Wales combined.

This, coupled with the fact that Gomis’ replacement, £15 million club record signing Borja Baston, has struggled so badly suggests The Swans really dropped the ball, as reported by the BBC.

The Spaniard, who netted 18 times on loan at modest Eibar from Atletico Madrid last season, has not completed 90 minutes since early November and has just one goal from four Premier League starts.

Sluggish and seemingly unable to pick a pass, Baston has failed to fit into the high tempo style of English football.

However, it must be remembered that a very similar criticism was levelled at Gomis during his two season spell. Struggling to adapt to the pace of the game, it didn’t help that the former Lyon striker’s transitional period was hindered by the form of star striker Wilfried Bony.

His movement non-existent and his attitude questioned, there’s a reason Gomis was shipped out by Swansea in the summer. And even Baston’s disappointing form should not encourage fans to clamour for his return.