Troy Parrott in: Swansea City's dream XI for next season ft 3 realistic signings | OneFootball

Despite a disappointing 14th place finish last time out, there is a cautious air of optimism amongst Swansea City supporters ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Luke Williams has proved a popular appointment so far and if he's able to bring in some of the players that he wants in the coming months, Swansea could thrive next season.

The 2023 summer transfer window was disappointing for the Swans, with several signings failing to make an impression, and subsequently being frozen out.

Swansea will need a better transfer window this time around, so with that in mind, here is how Swansea City's dream starting XI could look next season.

GK - Viljami Sinisalo

With Carl Rushworth returning to parent club Brighton, Swansea need a goalkeeper this summer. Viljami Sinisalo spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Exeter City from Aston Villa, and he impressed, keeping 13 clean sheets in League One.

The 22-year-old is also a Finland international, and a move to the Championship seems like a natural progression for the youngster. Last summer, Swansea signed Rushworth on loan after playing for Lincoln City in League One the previous season, so his lack of Championship experience won't be a concern for the Swans.

A move to Swansea should be attractive for any young goalkeeper, with the Swans' goalkeeping coach Martyn Margetson also being England's coach, and he has a track record of improving goalkeepers.

RB - Josh Key

The former Exeter City man was one of a few Swansea summer signings to make any sort of impact, and he's cemented his position as the club's first-choice right-back.

The 24-year-old made a really bright start to life at the club but suffered an injury in December that kept him out until March. He wasn't quite able to hit the same heights after, but Key is a talented player and with a full pre-season he'll be hoping to hit the ground running.

In total, he made 31 appearances, scoring two goals and registering one assist.

CB - Nathan Wood

Nathan Wood features in Swansea's dream starting XI for next season on one condition - he signs a new contract.

Out of contract in the summer of 2025, if he fails to put pen to paper on a new long-term deal this summer, Swansea have to sell him as they can't afford to lose one of their prized assets for free.

The 22-year-old was subject to a £10 million bid from Southampton that was turned down last summer, and Swansea could come to regret that. Since joining in the summer of 2022, Wood has played 72 games for the Swans.

CB - Harry Darling

Central defender Harry Darling has impressed during his time at Swansea and in a tough call he just edges Ben Cabango for a spot in the club's best starting XI.

Since joining from MK Dons in the summer of 2022, the 24-year-old has made 73 appearances for Swansea and has shown his goalscoring touch, finding the back of the net on seven occasions.

LB - Josh Tymon

Left-back Josh Tymon has been a revelation since joining from Stoke City last summer and if it wasn't for Carl Rushworth, he'd have very likely won the Player of the Year award, but he had to settle for Best Newcomer of the Season.

The 25-year-old made 41 appearances in all competitions last season and registered six assists - making the starting left-back berth his own.

CM - Matt Grimes

The first name on the teamsheet for Swansea, Matt Grimes recently passed the 300-appearance mark at the club.

The midfielder played all 50 games for the Swans during the 2023/24 season, starting all 46 league games, and in total, he scored five times, also registering six assists.

CM - Connor Barron

Despite having Joe Allen and Jay Fulton at the club, Swansea could do with a new midfielder to partner Matt Grimes, and a move for Aberdeen's Connor Barron has been mentioned in the past, as per a Football League World exclusive.

However, with Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers also keen, Swansea will face plenty of competition to get a deal over the line for the 21-year-old.

The Scotland U21 international was a mainstay in Aberdeen's starting XI last season, playing 42 games in total.

CAM - Jamie Paterson

Jamie Paterson's contract at the Swansea.com Stadium expired at the end of this season, but the club are in talks with the 32-year-old over extending his stay in South Wales.

The former Bristol City man is still an excellent player on his day, and if the terms are right, then Swansea should be looking to give him a new deal.

After a poor 2022/23 season, Paterson was back to his best and he scored seven times and registered six assists during the 2023/24 campaign.

The Brazilian winger wasn't a household name when Swansea signed him from Gremio Anapolis in January, but the 22-year-old has proven to be a very shrewd piece of business.

He's been a mainstay in Luke Williams' side since joining the club, and has scored three times in 18 appearances.

LW - Josh Ginnelly

Arguably a forgotten man at Swansea City but through no fault of his own, Josh Ginnelly has been ruled out with injury since September after joining the club from Hearts last summer.

Ginnelly made a bright start to life in SA1, scoring twice in eight appearances, including the club's goal of the season against Northampton Town in the Carabao Cup.

When fit again, Ginnelly could be a huge asset for Swansea, and himself, along with Ronald on the other wing, could cause defenders all sorts of problems with their pace.

ST - Troy Parrott

Swansea City need a striker – with Jerry Yates, Liam Cullen, and Mykola Kukharevych all not being quite up to it – and a move for Spurs forward Troy Parrott could be ideal.

The 22-year-old has had previous spells in the Championship with Millwall and Preston, where he failed to impress, but he spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Excelsior Rotterdam, where he scored 17 goals and registered five assists in 32 games.

The Irishman recently scored his fifth goal for his country in a friendly win against Hungary, and he's been in fine form as of late. Incredibly, he scored two hat-tricks over the course of Excelsior's four relegation play-off games, and with seemingly no future at Spurs, Swansea should move for him this summer.