Why Swansea City have completed a masterstroke by signing Cameron Carter-Vickers on loan
EFL Championship outfit Swansea City have confirmed the capture of Tottenham Hotspur and USMNT defender Cameron Carter-Vickers on a season-long loan deal.
Having been relegated from the Premier League last season, the Welsh outfit saw somewhat of an exodus of players with a number of first-team members leaving the club either on loan or permanently.
The centre-back department was stretched extremely thin by the departures of Alfie Mawson (Fulham), Kyle Bartley (West Bromwich Albion), Jordi Amat (Rayo Vallecano) and Federico Fernandez (Newcastle United). New manager Graham Potter was left with just Mike van der Hoorn and 20-year-old Joe Rodon as the only options in the heart of the defence.
As a result, bringing in a centre-back was of paramount importance for Swansea. However, the club failed to address that issue before the English transfer window slammed shut earlier this month. But, they have now taken a step in the right direction by bringing in Carter-Vickers, before the loan window for EFL clubs closes on 31 August.
Having made his first-team debut for Tottenham two years ago in September 2016, the 20-year-old has gone on to make just four appearances for Mauricio Pochettino’s side. Carter-Vickers spent the first half of the 2017/18 campaign on loan at Sheffield United, making 18 appearances for the Blades. In that time, he grabbed one goal and two assists.
The USMNT centre-back then switched to Ipswich Town in January, notching up 17 appearances in the second half of the campaign across all competitions. Carter-Vickers established himself as a fan favourite at the club during his short stint, owing to a series of commanding displays.
The youngster can work wonders either in a traditional back four or a three-man backline. Furthermore, the four-time capped USMNT international has the physical attributes to survive in a competition as gruelling and demanding as the Championship. Possessing good defensive nous and decent abilities with the ball at his feet, the 20-year-old has the potential to establish himself as a mainstay at the back for the Swans.
Considering that he was behind Toby Alderweireld, Davinson Sanchez, Jan Vertonghen, Eric Dier and Juan Foyth in the pecking order at the North London club, a temporary spell away should bode well for the player.
His experience of playing in the English second division makes the deal a good one for Swansea, especially when one takes into factor their glaring lack of options beyond Van der Hoorn and Rodon in the centre-back department.
