With the new Premier League season days away, we run the rule over each club competing in the 2016/17 campaign.
Swansea City
If the second half of last season is anything to go by, Swansea City will be confident of continuing their progression under the management of Francesco Guidolin in 2016/17.
Highest finishing position
Swansea have alternated between top and bottom-half finishes since their promotion to the Premier League in 2011. Their eighth place in 2014/15 is their highest placing in the competition.
The Welsh club have finished no lower than 12th in the league, a position they earned last term and in 2013/14.
Signings
With the takeover by the American duo of Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien confirmed this summer, Swansea have also had a busy few months in the transfer market.
The club have just lost club captain Ashley Williams to Everton after eight years, as well as forwards Alberto Paloschi, Bafetimbi Gomis and Andre Ayew, but that has been compensated by six summer signings.
Leroy Fer made permanent his transfer to the Liberty Stadium after impressing on loan from Queens Park Rangers in 2015/16.
Mike van der Hoorn, from Ajax, and Tyler Reid of last season's Premier League 2 champions Manchester United, are two powerful and young additions in defence.
Australia goalkeeper Mark Birighitti joins from Newcastle Jets and 20-year-old George Byers has bolstered the club's development squad.
The acquisition of Spanish striker Fernando Llorente ,signed as a replacement for West Ham United-bound Ayew, is perhaps the club's biggest piece of summer business so far.
Expected formation
A 4-2-3-1 formation with free-flowing, passing football has been at the heart of Swansea’s Premier League success in the last five seasons, and that looks set to continue in Guidolin’s first full season in charge.
Ayew, often deployed in a wider role last term, played as the main striker in an impressive pre-season campaign for Swansea, with Jefferson Montero, Wayne Routledge and Nathan Dyer among the fast options out wide. The Ghanaian’s departure means Llorente will now likely play a lone front-man role in 2016/17.
Gylfi Sigurdsson, who became the second Icelandic player to score at least 10 Premier League goals in a season last term, is expected to continue behind the striker after extending his contract at the Liberty Stadium.
Managers
Guidolin has signed a two-year deal to stay as Swansea head coach after making a significant impact since his arrival in January.
The Italian started his coaching career in the lower leagues in his homeland before guiding Vicenza to Serie A in 1994/95 as well as a Coppa Italia triumph and a UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final.
Guidolin also coached Udinese, Bologna and Palermo before a season with Monaco. He returned to Udinese in 2010, leading them to three successive top-three finishes and winning 2011’s best head coach in Serie A.
Brendan Rodgers, who sealed the club’s PL promotion in 2011, Michael Laudrup, Garry Monk and Alan Curtis are the other men to have presided over Swansea during their time in the Premier League.
Last season
The 2015/16 season was one of mixed fortunes for Swansea, with a four-match unbeaten run at the start of the campaign followed by only one victory from 13 matches as they slipped into the relegation zone on 20 December.
But, after Monk’s departure and a spell as interim manager for Curtis, Guidolin steadied the ship and led Swansea to a steady rise, with six wins from the last 10 matches.
Pre-season form
Guidolin’s men have warmed up for the new campaign with some impressive displays, beating Charlotte Independence 4-0, Bristol Rovers 5-1, Swindon Town 3-0 and Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-0.
The only negative result of their pre-season schedule was a 2-0 defeat by Richmond Kickers on their trip to the United States, before they rounded off their summer preparations with a 1-0 win over Stade Rennais.
Significant injuries
Swansea have no major injury concerns as the Premier League season approaches.
Club quote
New owners Kaplan and Levien: "This historic and powerful relationship between the fans and the club is the single most important answer to the question, 'Why Swansea City?'
"It's a unique story of a club rescued by a combination of mainly local businessmen and a group of fans who decided they couldn't stand by and let something they love die. To us, it was an incredible achievement and one that truly resonated. We were hooked, we knew we wanted to be involved."
