Nelson Oliveira netted only once on loan at Swansea City but he’s found goals far easier to come by at Norwich City in the Championship.
Manager Garry Monk promised to help new signing Nelson Oliviera rediscover the golden touch that made him one of Europe’s most exciting young forwards when he joined Swansea City on loan in January 2014, as reported by Wales Online.
Tipped to explode onto the scene at Euro 2012, Oliveira instead struggled to reach such exalted expectations and instead embarked on disappointing loan spells at Deportivo and Rennes. In fact, a half-season loan in South Wales was his third away from parent club Benfica in as many seasons.
And, after netting just once in ten appearances, he was no closer to becoming that world class centre-forward Portugal were crying out for. Monk, though well intentioned, had failed to follow through on his promise.
Yet four years on, Oliveira would now represent an astute signing for Swansea City. Finding a permanent home at last in Norwich City after another loan at Nottingham Forest (below), the now-25-year-old has hit nine Championship goals in 14 starts for the Canaries, his finishing, dribbling and excellent combination play finally shining through at Carrow Road.
And though it is unlikely Norwich would let him go after just one season, you get the feeling that the Swans perhaps signed him too early, when he was still a rough diamond unfamiliar with the British game.
Though with Paul Clement’s side worryingly reliant upon Fernando Llorente, a player largely renowned for his inconsistency, Oliveira would be a pretty useful addition to the Swansea squad of today.
The revitalised front man may have struggled to hit the heights expected of him at the Liberty Stadium but, four years on, he is finally settling in Britain. Although the chances of him leading the line for Portugal look fairly slim.
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