With less than a week until the season opener against Burnley, Swansea have decided to accept Everton's improved bid for captain Ashley Williams, leaving the club with just three centre-backs. The move has unsettled a large portion of the fan base, and while the sale of club legends is rarely greeted enthusiastically, Swansea have made exactly the right move.
There's little doubt Williams has been a force at Swansea. He was with the club for eight years, been a central part of the team's rise through the divisions and had frequently been linked with a move to a bigger club since proving himself at Premier League level. However, at 31, he was not going to improve. He had likely hit his peak and while he will no doubt provide Everton with stout leadership and defending for next season, his decline is only a matter of time.
In two years, his contract at Swansea would have expired, putting the club in an awkward position. Would they renew their captain's contract, committing money and a squad number to a fading light to honour a fan favourite? Or would they cut him loose, upsetting the fans and tarnishing the club's reputation for disrespecting a long-standing servant? In selling Williams now, the club allows him to leave on a high note and neatly avoids a potentially complicated parting of the ways further down the line.
What's more, getting a reported £9 million for a player two weeks shy of his 32nd birthday with practically no resale value is remarkably good business. Williams' stock was at its highest point after his outstanding Euro 2016 performances for Wales. Swansea have duly taken advantage and should be praised for their courage rather than criticised for selling their captain.
On the field, the impact might not be felt as much as many fear. Jordi Amat is an excellent defender, Williams-lite if you like, but only in the sense he lacks Williams' bristling physique. In reality, the Spaniard is a more aggressive player, harder tackler and considerably more mobile. He is also every bit the ball player Williams was and at 24, he has years ahead of him to develop further.
Neither man is particularly tall nor particularly good in the air, which is why Amat had been relegated to watching games from the bench. To play two short central defenders is asking for trouble, especially in a league where high balls into the box are still a primary means of attack. While Williams was at the club, his partner had to cover for his aerial deficiency, which is why he was paired with 6-foot-3 Federico Fernandez.
If you ever wondered why Williams never quite made a top six side, his futility in aerial challenges, especially against tall strikers (Andy Carroll being a prime example) is the reason why. Amat can now step up, and while he might lack Williams' superb ability to read games, he will capably compensate the rest, and he's marginally better in the air too.
Swansea will be left with a leadership vacuum, admittedly. Stalwart Leon Britton was chosen as captain in preseason, but probably won't start every game and there are few vocal leaders among those that will. Gylfi Sigurdsson and Jack Cork lead by example but are not from the shouting-and-pointing school of motivation. Neil Taylor has a chance, but will likely be deposed as the starting left-back by Stephen Kingsley sooner rather than later. Lukasz Fabianksi is a safe choice but how much influence can a goalkeeper exert over the forward players? Coach Francesco Guidolin will have to choose wisely, though the right candidate will likely be a lot more obvious to those inside the dressing room than to those outside of it.
Finally, there is Williams' role to consider in all this. He has given Swansea the best years of his career and this was his last chance at a big money salary and the possibility of playing again in Europe. The timing is right for both parties, since Swansea have Williams' successor close to hand. Amat might rightfully have demanded a transfer to play first team football elsewhere this season had he not been given this chance.
Swansea should still look to recruit a replacement for depth if nothing else. Kara Mbodji of Anderlecht would be an excellent choice, and it is a shame this saga didn't end in time for the Swans to give ex-Chelsea man Papy Djilobodji something to think about before he moved to Sunderland.
Regardless, with new ownership at the helm and the club captain out the exit door, there is no doubt Swansea are heading boldly into a new era.