Swansea

Projected starting XI

Lukasz Fabianski; Martin Olsson, Alfie Mawson, Federico Fernandez, Kyle Naughton; Leroy Fer, Tom Carroll; Jordan Ayew, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Wayne Routledge; Tammy Abraham

How do you feel about the club's summer transfer business?

It's impossible to grade Swansea's transfer window at the moment because there's so much left to come. While Sigurdsson is currently a Swansea player — and therefore in the team's projected lineup — Everton will not give up their pursuit of him. Every day it looks more likely that Swansea will lose him. But that will give the club £50 million to spend.

What they spend it on is anyone's guess, but they better have some targets in mind, and they better act quickly. Replacing your best player in August is very difficult.

Swansea supporters will be happy with a couple of the players that have already arrived, though. Roque Mesa is a tidy ball-retaining CM, and could displace one of the current starters within a couple of months. Chelsea loanee Tammy Abraham is coming off a spectacular season in the Championship, and is expected to be able to score at a higher level.

What's the highest reasonable goal the team has and what needs to go right to get there?

Given Sigurdsson's imminent departure, getting to 40 points before the final game of the season. If Swansea can avoid relegation rather comfortably instead of going into the last day within three points of the drop, that should be considered a success.

For that to happen, Abraham has to score. Young players like Alfie Mawson and Tom Carroll need to improve. And last of all, at least one good starter has to come out of the post-Sigurdsson exit purchases.

Who's a player on the team that neutrals might not know much about, but should become fans of?

Carroll. He's got a fight on his hands to retain his place with Mesa joining up, but Carroll only got better as last season went on. He's an extremely talented passer, but he's spent his entire career up until this point on loans or fighting for a place at Tottenham. After making his move to Swansea in January, Carroll's had the benefit of an entire preseason with a team and coach he knows he's going to play a major role for. Expect this to be the best season of his career.

Who will be the team's MVP this season, and why?

If Sigurdsson stays, there's no doubt it's him. If he leaves, it may need to be Tammy Abraham. Fernando Llorente is coming off an excellent season, but he's 32 and a bit of a one-trick pony at this point of his career. Without Sigurdsson's set pieces, that trick won't be as effective. Maybe this is unfair on a 19-year-old, but Swansea is depending on Abraham to give them something they haven't had since Wilfried Bony left — a dynamic striker who can occupy multiple defenders with his runs, hold the ball up, and score. No pressure, kid.