Carlos Carvalhal endured a disappointing transfer window after taking over at Premier League outfit Swansea City in December 2017.
Carlos Carvalhal knew that he had a job on his hands when he took over at Swansea City in December 2017.
The former Sheffield Wednesday boss was The Swans’ fifth manager in the space of just two years and the South Wales outfit had just spent their third Christmas in a year stuck in the relegation zone.
And, with a lack of goals and creativity a glaring issue, Carvalhal understandably wanted to take full advantage of the January transfer window to add some much needed attacking quality to a rather toothless side.
Speaking to Jim White on talkSPORT (18 September, 10am), the 52-year-old admitted that he wanted to sign a number of high-profile players, including Atletico Madrid duo Nico Gaitan and Kevin Gameiro.
But, by the time February began, only Andre Ayew and Andy King had arrived.
“Everyone realised we had weaknesses in the team. We needed to bring in players,” Carvalhal said.
“We contacted players, Gaitan, Gameiro (below) from Atletico Madrid, national team players from Porto.
“But for one or another reason they didn’t want to come to a team that could get relegated. It was very hard to improve the team.”
Argentina international Gaitan and quicksilver striker Gameiro, a prolific goalscorer in La Liga, would surely have given Swansea much more of a threat going forward and aided Carvalhal’s rescue mission.
But Swansea eventually finished in 18th, having scored just 28 goals in 38 games, the joint lowest in the Premier League.
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