12 days to Premier League season: Swansea City need a striker, and stability

• More: 2016/17 Premier League fixtures in UAE time

The National's sports team is counting down the days until defending champions Leicester City take on newly promoted Hull City in the opening fixture of the 2016/17 English Premier League season by looking at one team a day. Today, Swansea City.

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Last season was a topsy-turvy one for the Premier League’s sole Welsh representative. A bright start gave way to a disastrous middle that, after 20 games, saw Swansea one place and two points above the relegation zone.

The sacking of manager Garry Monk in December, following a run of one win in 11 league matches, would have surprised most before the season started given his encouraging start in the job.

The arrival of Francesco Guidolin as Monk’s successor appeared an underwhelming appointment, but the Italian deserves a great deal of credit for steadying the ship and guiding Swansea to a 12th place finish.

After earning a two year contract, Guidolin’s task is to now build on that early promise, but attacking reinforcements are needed if Swansea are to avoid a season spent at the wrong end of the table.

Swansea are three strikers lighter than last season, with Eder, Alberto Paloschi, and Bafetimbi Gomis all leaving and none arriving. Club chairman Hew Jenkins has said the club are focused on signing a striker, with Spain international Fernando Llorente the priority target.

It is sure to be another season of peaks and troughs for Swansea, although unless a striker is signed to provide a steady stream of goals, they could get dragged into a relegation dogfight.

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Previously

• Hull City: Promoted club had unstable summer

• Middlesbrough: Hopes lie largely in Spaniards

• Burnley: Third time the charm?

• Sunderland: Moyes the make or break factor in survival hopes

• Bournemouth: Well placed to avoid 'second season syndrome'

• Crystal Palace: Time to deliver on all that talent

• West Bromwich Albion: Another season of mid-table mediocrity

• Watford: Early fixtures will set the tone – for better or worse

Still to come

• Tomorrow: Everton