Fulham’s top three signings of all time

Swansea City’s injury setback should prompt them to sign ex-Fulham free agent

With Joe Allen among a number of Swans players on the sidelines for an extended period of time, Michael Duff should now consider signing Josh Onomah.

•  Swansea City’s recent victory was overshadowed by long-term injuries to three key players, including summer signing Josh Ginnelly who is out for the season.
•  The team’s lack of depth in midfield is now a concern, with experienced midfielder Joe Allen also sidelined, making the signing of Josh Onomah a potential solution.
•  Onomah’s ability to break through the middle of the park and create opportunities could make him a valuable asset for Swansea City, and they should consider making a move for him.
• Swansea City have been struck a triple whammy hammer-blow in the form of long-term injuries, just as they believed they had injected some enthusiasm into their terrible start to the 2023-24 Championship season.
• Their 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday was a sign that Michael Duff’s team may be turning the turnaround, albeit against a relatively inferior side who are still hunting for their first league win of the season.

  What has transpired in the aftermath, though, has slightly dampened the mood, with three of Duff’s first-team squad suffering long-term injuries.

  Summer commitment Josh Ginnelly has been declared out for the rest of the season after rupturing his achilles, having only played eight times since joining from Scottish club Hearts, while Nathan Wood requires ankle surgery and might be out for months.

• Also joining the duo on the treatment table is experienced midfielder Joe Allen, who suffered a groin injury recently and has been under the knife, leaving him out of action for around three months, just like Wood.
• Should Duff continue with the 4-2-3-1 system he’s moved to in the last few games, then Swansea are going to need to at least consider looking into the current pool of free agents that are on the market, with just Charlie Patino, Matt Grimes and Jay Fulton being realistic options to pick.

  Liam Walsh may get a chance after a lacklustre and injury-hit two years with the club, but there are potential options that are still without a club – one of those being Josh Onomah.

  Who is Josh Onomah?

  A former prodigy having come through the Tottenham academy, Onomah was capped at six different youth levels for England, playing 56 times for the Three Lions between 2012 and 2018.

  Onomah didn’t make it at Spurs in the end though despite playing 32 times, with loan moves to Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday being followed by a permanent switch to Fulham in 2019.

  With the Cottagers, Onomah won two promotions from the Championship, playing 54 times for the London club in the second tier of English football and he also racked up 13 Premier League outings for them too.

  However, fitness and injuries were an issue for Onomah during his time at Craven Cottage, and he was allowed to explore a new challenge in January 2023, signing for Preston North End for the remainder of the campaign.

  With the Lilywhites, Onomah appeared in 13 matches and it looked as though he was going to sign an extension over the summer, but it never materialised and neither did a contract at Stoke City, whom he played multiple pre-season friendlies for.

  The major reason Swansea should consider swooping for Onomah is because with Allen out, they lack genuine quality depth in the center of the park.

  As far as starting combinations go, Charlie Patino and Matt Grimes are a solid pair, but with only Jay Fulton as a backup, more is required – especially given the Championship’s competitive character.

  And if Duff wants to go back to a three-man midfield, he has Jamie Paterson and Oli Cooper to choose from – but none of them have the proclivities of Onomah, who can powerfully break through the center of the pitch and make things happen.

  A Championship club will make an offer for Onomah at some point when they need a midfielder, and Swansea should try to jump to the front of the queue in order to make a deal happen – the 26-year-old should be affordable enough and could be a real asset for the rest of the season.