As a Swansea fan, a little piece of me died when I saw the words “Sigurdsson left out of Swansea squad” for the match against Southampton. This is because it means he will probably leave, despite rumours a deal had collapsed. And for the unlucky fantasy managers who picked him up in their draft, the question is, “Should I keep him?”, as he may flop at Everton. But for most of us, we must ask who will play for Swansea in his place. We must also assess whether they are worth picking up. Below is a list of four players who could potentially fill the Sigurdsson shaped void in the Swansea team for the near future.

 

Wayne Routledge

Not the most obvious candidate, Wayne was asked to play in Sigurdsson’s role during pre-season. Apparently he wasn’t too bad, and so there is a potential for him to play there full-time. He definitely has the experience to, and he has pace to add to that as well. Since he usually plays the winger role, he does have passing capability, and his quickness could link up with that of Tammy Abraham to form some deadly counter-attacks. He isn’t the most prolific goalscorer, however, and so this is the only drawback if he was to fill Sigurdsson’s role. But playing in a more central role may suit him, leading to goals and assists. He definitely wouldn’t be a bad pick in my opinion. Maybe save him for a backup midfielder if one of your mains has a bad match up.

 

Leroy Fer

Fer has a lot more experience in a central role, and his height and strength both compliment this position. He is able to hold off players and then pass it off for great combos with his team. The guy’s also no stranger to the score sheet either, knocking a few in last season. He also has a good passing ability, and so he may be a better fit for Sigurdsson’s role. But, he does usually play behind the CAM, which leads me to believe he will keep his position, and Wayne will drift into the centre. Because Narsingh seems to be on the first team as a winger, Routledge won’t be playing out wide anymore, so I do think he will be played centrally. But I may be wrong, and Fer may take this position, with Mesa and Carroll/Britton behind him. Either way, someone has score. It might be him.

 

Tom Carroll

Carroll showed his potential ever since he signed for us in January, setting up Llorente sublimely in his debut against Liverpool. Ever since, I have watched him carefully, and have been very impressed. Of course, he was with Swansea on loan a couple of years ago, but he is a much improved player now, and that’s why he may become the next Sigurdsson for Swansea. He has an excellent passing range, a decent free-kick and a good mind for the game. His game-smarts show when he plays, and I think he could easily slot into that role, as it seems to come to him naturally.  If he begins to play in this position, he’s worth checking out. He will get assists, and may nick a few goals along the way too.

 

Jordan Ayew

Although he isn’t as prolific as his brother, he is a good player. And I know he is more of a winger or striker than he is a supporting midfielder. But he does have influence on the game, and if he learns to convert that to be effective in Sigurdsson’s role, that would be great. He is probably the least likely to fill Sigurdsson’s position, but goals and assists have to come from somewhere, and if Clement has prepared him well during pre-season, I think Ayew could come out of the gates impressively. Even if he doesn’t drift into the centre, watch him.

So, that is the list of Sigurdsson’s replacements for (hopefully only) the first few weeks. They should be looking for a new signing to fill his role, but in the meantime, these are some players who could do the job. Despite his leaving, I think Sigurdsson is a very good player, and it’s up to one of these to come up with the goods for a while, and I’m sure at least one of them will. So if you need an extra midfielder (or striker – Ayew), think about these four.