Swansea City will already be confident of making money from Portuguese star: View | OneFootball

Gonçalo Franco's signing looks to be a very shrewd one by Swansea City

It's been an indifferent start to the season for Swansea City, and most of their new signings are still trying to get up to speed with the Championship, but one player in particular has made a great start to life in SA1.

Goncalo Franco made the move to Swansea from Portuguese top-flight side Moreirense over the summer, and despite the 23-year-old having spent his entire career in Portugal, he's had no problems with adapting to English football.

Franco put pen-to-paper on a long-term four-year deal with Swansea, which gives the club some security in the years to come if the player continues to improve and receives an offer from elsewhere, as it would allow the club to demand a hefty fee.

On early evidence, it looks as if Franco will be an excellent signing for the Swans, and it looks as if he could well be a real asset going forward and someone who could make the club money.

When Franco's signing was first announced, it looked as if he was a real coup for Swansea, and in his early showings it looks that way too.

The 23-year-old was reportedly attracting interest from Turkish giants Galatasaray earlier in the transfer window, as per Portuguese paper Jornal de Noticias, so it shows that the young midfielder is talented, and Swansea look to have a serious player on their hands.

Franco's best showing in a Swansea shirt came in the South Wales Derby against Cardiff, where he ran the show as his side dominated the first hour or so, and it's no coincidence that the Swans began to struggle as soon as he went off.

Luke Williams claimed afterwards that Franco was getting tired and had suffered a knock on his arm, hence being taken off, but that showing has Swansea City fans excited to see more from the 23-year-old as the season progresses.

Franco and Matt Grimes compliment each other nicely in midfield, and there aren't too many Championship clubs that possess that sort of quality in the middle of the park, so Swansea really need to make the most of that this season.

It's been a strange start for Swansea and after a decent opening few weeks, back-to-back defeats against Wycombe and West Brom have put a downer on things over the international break, and the majority of their new signings are yet to fully hit their straps, but that can't be said about Franco.

Franco's signing was met with a cautious optimism by Swansea fans after the midfielder had impressed in Portugal, but despite it being early days, it looks as if they've got a talented player on their hands who could make them a small fortune in the future.

A four-year deal for Goncalo Franco was smart business by Swansea City

If Franco continues to enjoy an impressive season in south Wales, it's not out of the question that he could attract transfer interest next summer, and a long-term deal ensures that Swansea won't be selling him on the cheap.

Had Swansea only given him a two-year deal, their hand could have been forced next summer to sell him on a cut-price deal to avoid losing him for free the following year, but a four-year deal means that Swansea can be strong with their asking price should he attract interest.

Swansea's board haven't always been the most pragmatic in recent times with their transfer dealings, but credit where it's due, they've signed a talented young player without breaking the bank and have tied him to a long-term deal.

Should a club come in with a big offer in the next year or two, Swansea will know they've made a profit on Franco, which could subsequently be reinvested back into the playing squad.