28-11-2023, 09:08
Swansea City have signed former Crystal Palace and Everton winger Yannick Bolasie on a short-term deal.
Bolasie, 34, has been a free agent since leaving Turkish club Caykur Rizespor at the end of last season.
He trained with Swansea last week and has done enough to convince the Championship club he can make an impact despite his lack of match fitness.
He is available for Wednesday's game at Leeds, and the deal is understood to run until the end of January 2024.
"He's been in, he's looked good. It'll be a two-month deal and we'll see how it goes from there," Swansea head coach Michael Duff said last week.
"We need bodies in the building, we need help. We're not in a position where we can cherry pick the exact player we want."
Swansea are short of natural wide players having lost Josh Ginnelly to a season-ending injury, while striker Mykola Kuharevich is also on the sidelines.
Duff says Bolasie, who cost Everton £25m in 2016, can play as a central striker as well as out wide.
"He hasn't got the pace and power he once had, but you don't get bought for £25m if you don't know how to handle a football," Duff added.
"He can play in any one of those front-four positions. He just gives us a few more variations."
Bolasie first made a mark in English football at Plymouth Argyle, before spending a season at Bristol City and then moving to Palace in 2012.
He thrived during four years at Selhurst Park before joining Everton in 2016. Bolasie had less success at Goodison Park, with his cause was not helped by injury.
He spent time on loan at Aston Villa, Anderlecht, Sporting and Middlesbrough during his spell on Everton's books.
He moved to Caykur Rizespor in 2021, suffering relegation from the Turkish top flight in his first year at the club, but then played a major part in their promotion back to the highest level last season.
Bolasie, 34, has been a free agent since leaving Turkish club Caykur Rizespor at the end of last season.
He trained with Swansea last week and has done enough to convince the Championship club he can make an impact despite his lack of match fitness.
He is available for Wednesday's game at Leeds, and the deal is understood to run until the end of January 2024.
"He's been in, he's looked good. It'll be a two-month deal and we'll see how it goes from there," Swansea head coach Michael Duff said last week.
"We need bodies in the building, we need help. We're not in a position where we can cherry pick the exact player we want."
Swansea are short of natural wide players having lost Josh Ginnelly to a season-ending injury, while striker Mykola Kuharevich is also on the sidelines.
Duff says Bolasie, who cost Everton £25m in 2016, can play as a central striker as well as out wide.
"He hasn't got the pace and power he once had, but you don't get bought for £25m if you don't know how to handle a football," Duff added.
"He can play in any one of those front-four positions. He just gives us a few more variations."
Bolasie first made a mark in English football at Plymouth Argyle, before spending a season at Bristol City and then moving to Palace in 2012.
He thrived during four years at Selhurst Park before joining Everton in 2016. Bolasie had less success at Goodison Park, with his cause was not helped by injury.
He spent time on loan at Aston Villa, Anderlecht, Sporting and Middlesbrough during his spell on Everton's books.
He moved to Caykur Rizespor in 2021, suffering relegation from the Turkish top flight in his first year at the club, but then played a major part in their promotion back to the highest level last season.
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