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Five weeks remain before Swansea City kick-off the Premier League season at champions Chelsea. Five weeks in which Garry Monk can concentrate simply on getting his squad prepared for the new campaign rather than worrying about the transfer window.

Only it’s not quite true, just as it’s not quite correct to say Swansea got their business done in four weeks; it’s taken them two years.

And while Monk won’t be stressing about summer shopping in the build-up to the 2015/2016 season he will be already be discussing transfers for the next window. And the one after that.

It’s the way Swansea work and its fair to say its worked well for them.

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Related:What have Swansea's 'mini league' rivals done in the transfer market?

(Image: Action Images / Alex Broadway)

Identifying players

It’s been a carefully planned part of the Swansea model over the last 10 years or so, the process of identifying and recruiting players as important as anything.

And yet there’s a simplicity still at the heart of it.

“We probably do things in a more old-fashioned way than most clubs,” said chairman Huw Jenkins of the club’s recruitment process in a recent interview. “And that’s we actually go and watch players.”

It sounds ridiculous but it’s been key for Swansea ever since Kevin Reeves was serving as chief scout under Roberto Martinez, using his wife’s employment with a budget airline to get discounts on regular trips to the Continent. Had he not wanted to run the rule over a striker in a Spanish lower tier fixture he would not have spotted a defender who he placed on the wish-list. The striker wasn’t deemed good enough but Angel Rangel made the trip worth it.

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Rocked by Reeves’ departure as part of his alignment with Martinez, Swansea made moves to strengthen the scouting system in order to beat the budgets and to ensure the club’s playing philosophy kept running through with scouts set up to sign ‘Swansea-type’ players.

It has led to the existing structure that is overseen by Jenkins in close consultation with manager Monk.

The three key men

Three key men sit below them, all with various titles but with the same job of tracking players over a period of time. Dave Leadbetter, Tim Henderson and European-based George Foster – all with a raft of experience in player recruitment – have scouts underneath them but it is that trio who report back into Jenkins and compile the club’s ‘black book’ of players, a ready-made list of players who can be tracked over a period of time.

Recent £5m striker signing Eder had been followed for two years, for example, Bafetimbi Gomis similarly before he signed last summer. Jack Cork had been on the Swansea list since the first days of Brendan Rodgers while Andre Ayew was another who has been watched closely for the past two seasons.

Such a lengthy process means, when the opportunities arise, Swansea can move quickly, enticing a player with their long-held admiration but also in their ability to make firm and fast decisions on deals.

The impressive luring of Ayew to the Liberty when there were so many others also interested did not happen by accident.

Related:The former Swan being targeted by Cardiff

(Image: Swansea City Football Club)

There must be agreement

Transfers only happen when Monk and Jenkins are in agreement, but there are no transfer committees, speeding things up. Monk has the players he wants targeted and added to the list, going through the same scouting process, but will also feed off the existing players monitored by the club while the dealing of fees and salaries is left with the chairman.

“In so many clubs they over-complicate what they do on transfers,” said Jenkins at the end of the season. “It doesn’t matter how many people you’ve got in a room deciding what players you want, somebody has to make a decision. It’s easier to have fewer opinions and keep it simple.”

(Image: D Legakis/Athena Picture Agency)

There can be fortuitous moments but Swansea make their own luck by getting out and about and more hands on than many rivals. New computer systems such as WyScout – where clubs can call up any game and analyse a particular player – stop the need to be in physical attendance but, like Rangel, they may not have got Federico Fernandez had they not stepped out of the office.

Fernandez was on loan at Getafe when his teammate was being scouted in 2013, the Argentinian impressing and subsequently monitored from then until his £8m arrival in August 2015.

The 'black book'

The ‘black book’ approach also enables Swansea to move fast when others depart, Fernandez lined up the previous summer and then bought when Chico Flores moved to the Middle East.

Swansea’s growing profile has helped as has their very obvious playing style; scouts or agents know they would be wasting their time if they tried recommending a player not comfortable in possession or ready to buy into the club ethos.

In short, it’s not done on the hop giving the club a greater confidence when they part with money on fees or signing bonuses – and that the players they bring in will be a success.

And the club does much to stick to their principles on it all; the greatest tension with former boss Michael Laudrup came over transfers and the Dane’s apparent reluctance to go with the club’s scouted approach on occasion.

It’s understandable in some ways with managers having differing ideas at times, but Swansea’s system is designed that it should work whoever is in the dug-out.

Monk has shown he is willing to work with it and Swansea are reaping the rewards.