Swansea City look to have struck gold with temporary Burnley deal | OneFootball

Hannes Delcroix has proved a shrewd addition for Swansea City since completing a loan switch from Championship rivals Burnley

January proved a disappointing month for Swansea City both on the pitch and in the transfer market, and while they weren't able to properly bolster their squad, the signings they did make look to be shrewd ones.

Swansea made three signings in total, with Melker Widell joining on a permanent basis from Aalborg, although he will spend the rest of the season on loan with the Danish side, while Lewis O'Brien and Hannes Delcroix were brought in on loan from Nottingham Forest and Burnley respectively.

While signing players on loan isn't ideal from a financial point of view, with Swansea paying sizeable wages with no chance of being able to sell the player on for money in the future, needs must, and while Delcroix's arrival didn't come with too much fanfare, the Belgian international looks a shrewd pick-up by Luke Williams' side.

Swansea City have struck gold with Hannes Delcroix deal

It's safe to say that Delcroix hasn't had the best of times in English football since joining Burnley from Anderlecht in the summer of 2023, and this season had proved challenging at Turf Moor for the Belgian international, failing to make a single appearance.

With Nelson Abbey being recalled from his loan spell by parent club Olympiacos and Harry Darling suspended, Swansea desperately needed to sign a centre-back on loan in January, and Delcroix proved the man tasked with adding quality depth to Williams' defensive ranks.

Despite his lack of game time this season, Delcroix has had no issues with finding his feet at the Swansea.com Stadium, and he's played the full 90 minutes in all four of his appearances for the Swans, earning plaudits for his early performances.

The left-footed defender has given Swansea a different option, and the fact he's comfortable on the ball has helped him fit into Williams' way of playing.

Delcroix has also proved his defensive capabilities, and while Swansea have struggled for results since his arrival, his performance at Ashton Gate as his side beat Bristol City showed that he's a quality player at this level, and he could be an important player between now and the end of the season.

It's perhaps no surprise that Delcroix is thriving at Swansea. After all, he is a Belgium international and has played European football for Anderlecht, so there's clearly a quality player in there somewhere, and he's just been unfortunate at Burnley for a number of reasons.

With Swansea opting for five at the back in recent games following Matt Grimes' departure, Delcroix looks set for plenty of regular football, and it looks as if the Swans have struck gold with their decision to sign him on loan from Burnley.

Hannes Delcroix has an important couple of months ahead of him

After failing to make a single appearance for Burnley during the first half of the season, it's clear that Delcroix needed to go out and play as much football as he possibly could during the second half of the campaign.

It looks like he'll get regular minutes at Swansea, which is exactly what he needs, particularly with an uncertain future at Turf Moor.

Burnley have depth that most Championship clubs could only dream of, and it means someone like Delcroix is way down the pecking order, despite being more than good enough to play regularly at Championship level.

If the Clarets win promotion to the Premier League, then you'd have thought Delcroix would have no future at the club, and the next couple of months at Swansea will help to put him in the shop window for a potential permanent move from Turf Moor in the summer.

If the one-cap Belgian international continues to impress at Swansea, then there's no reason why the club won't want to try and sign him on a permanent basis in the summer, although wages could well prove to be a sticking point.

However, on early evidence, Delcroix's loan move to Swansea looks to be a move that will benefit all parties involved, and the 25-year-old is set to play an important role in what will be a pivotal couple of months for Williams' side.