Carlos Carvalhal insists he has the perfect signings in Andre Ayew and Andy King – players who wanted to move to Swansea City.
The Swans manager was linked with a number of other potential recruits during the transfer window – including from some of Europe’s leading clubs – but admitted many were put off by the fact they would be joining a team who have spent the best part of three months in the Premier League relegation zone.
In the end, Ayew returned from West Ham in a club-record £18m deal, while King joined on loan from Leicester for the rest of the campaign.
Asked if the transfer window was a success, Carvalhal said: “Success is winning games. The transfer market is different.
“But both players we brought in, they wanted to come here and that was crucial because we want players to come here and help the team and that will make us stronger.
“Players that are here that have qualities but don’t want to be here wouldn’t be able to help us.
“It’s not just about quality, it’s about commitment. This is the biggest thing for me.”
The Swans have given themselves huge hope of maintaining their place in the top-flight with three wins in six getting them to within one point of safety.
They head to Leicester on Saturday and will be hoping 28-year-old Ayew, brother of team-mate Jordan, can repeat his heroics from the 2015-16 campaign when he finished as the club’s top scorer with 12 goals.
“Andre is a good solution for us,” Carvalhal added. “He is very versatile and can play in different positions.
“He is not exactly a No 10, but he does not lose the ball easily and this kind of player can link the midfield to attack. At the same time he is a threat because he scores goals.”
Ayew could come straight into the side to face Leicester at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, but King will not be available to face his parent club and is also Cup tied so cannot figure in the FA Cup replay against Notts County next week.
King’s arrival has offset the outgoing departure on loan of Roque Messa. The Spaniard joined Sevilla earlier in the week for the rest of the season and Carvalhal has admitted the £11m singing has not adjusted to his new surroundings, both on and off the field.
“It is a story we see often in football,” the former Sheffield Wednesday manager said. “I spoke to him about Sevilla, he said he was not fully adapted to England and neither were his family. I asked him what he wanted and he said he wanted to go to Seville and he would be more happy there.
“So it was the same as the decision with Ayew and King, the principle is the same. He was committed and a good boy, but sometimes these things happen, they are not comfortable and they have an offer from a good club in their country. This is what happened
“When Mesa went, we had an opportunity with King, I knew he wanted to come here and he is a fighter, a player who can score goals and break the lines. He has international experience also he has quality, but the commitment is also important. He is here to work, and we need workers like that.”