Swansea City seal transfer move for player who had been on Man United’s radar | OneFootball

Swansea City confirmed that they have brought in youngster Kristian Fletcher from DC United to join their U21 side until January.

Who is Kristian Fletcher?

The 18-year-old attacker is not someone the Swans’ fans will know a lot about, as he is just starting out in his career, but Fletcher is highly-rated, with the youngster having represented USA at U19 level.

As well as that, he has played for DC United’s first-team, making 12 appearances since his debut last year.

Such is his potential, Fletcher has been on trial with Man United and Borussia Dortmund in the past, but neither club pressed through to get a deal done.

Swansea sign Kristian Fletcher on loan

However, the teenager’s next step will be in Wales, as Swansea announced his arrival on their official site on Thursday evening.

Of course, the window is now shut, but Fletcher did put pen to paper before 11pm last week, with the confirmation delayed because the club had been waiting for the player to arrive into the country.

Interestingly, it’s stated that Fletcher will link up with the U21 side of the Championship club, so he won’t be part of Michael Duff’s plans, although that could obviously change if he impresses in training and for the development side.

Is this a good signing for Swansea?

This seems like a very good bit of business by Swansea, as they’ve brought in a young player who clearly has a lot of ability.

Now, they will get the chance to assess Fletcher close up, and you would imagine that they would push to sign him permanently if he does well enough over the next few months.

Meanwhile, it’s a chance for the player to experience a new country, and the change in environment could be exactly what he needs to help his game, even if he is only with the 21s for now.

It remains to be seen whether Swansea do pursue a move for Fletcher permanently, but he is unlikely to command a significant sum, and his contract expires in 2025, at the end of the MLS season.

What next for Swansea City?

This was a nice boost for Swansea given the window had shut last week, but the reality is that Fletcher is not going to impact the first-team during this spell.

For Duff, the only focus will be the squad he is working with, and after five games without a win to start the season, he knows he needs to get results on the board quickly.

And, things don’t get much bigger for the boss than a trip to bitter rivals Cardiff, which is the first game back after the international break.

Even at this early stage, this feels like a massive game for Duff, who will be well aware of what this game means to the supporters. A victory at Cardiff could be the catalyst for Swansea to go on an improved run, whereas a defeat will add more pressure.

The game will be played at 19:45 on September 16.