Russell Martin: Swansea City boss says he has been told club will make signings
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Russell Martin (right) was unveiled alongside Julian Winter (left) after signing a three-year deal at Swansea
New Swansea City boss Russell Martin has been assured by the club's owners he will be given funds to strengthen his squad.
Martin has "not had much sleep" since being named head coach last Sunday due to discussions over possible signings.
Swansea have lost key men such as Freddie Woodman, Marc Guehi and Andre Ayew since May's Championship play-off final defeat at Brentford.
"The squad is a little bit thin at the moment," Martin said.
"We're definitely going to add to it and we're going to add in the positions where we feel we need to add.
"We've had lots of chats about that and I'm pretty confident that I'm being really well supported.
"We have had lots of communication over the first four days. I haven't had much sleep - hopefully I will get some at some stage.
"I am looking forward to seeing some other players in the building as quickly as possible. I am confident that will happen - but you also have to respect the players that are here. It's a good squad and everyone's got a clean slate. "
Russell Martin sought assurances before taking Swansea head coach job
Swansea could make the first signing of the Martin era before Saturday's Championship opener at Blackburn, with a mixture of loan and permanent deals likely to be completed over the next few weeks.
Martin says the club are "really clear on the positions we need and how many in each position" - although plans could be affected by departures.
Midfielder Matt Grimes is a target for Fulham, while right-back Connor Roberts is another player who has only a year to run on his contract and could therefore be sold if an offer comes in.
"There's been speculation about a few of our own players, so we're well aware of those situations," Martin said. "We have a plan in place for them staying and going."
Asked specifically about Grimes, Martin added: "He's a fantastic player. I've got a guy - while he's here - he's fully committed. There's no concerns about him on any front about being distracted or not focused. He loves it here and he really enjoys playing for the club."
Wales international Roberts is recovering from the groin injury suffered at Euro 2020, but that has not stopped talk that he could move on.
"It's a difficult position because for us he's a player we like and he's a player who would suit what we're doing, but at the same time, when someone enters the last year of their contract, no-one's naive," Martin added.
"If a club comes in with the right offer that we can then use to strengthen our squad, we have to plan not just for this season but for the season beyond."
Russell Martin, pictured here with midfielder Yan Dhanda (left), has had only a handful of training sessions to prepare for Saturday's game at Blackburn
Steve Cooper left Swansea last month despite leading the club to top-six finishes in each of his two seasons at the helm.
Queens Park Rangers assistant boss John Eustace then turned down the chance to succeed Cooper before Swansea paid MK Dons around £400,000 in compensation to bring in Martin and his management team.
"It wasn't an easy decision for me and the staff that have come with me, purely because of the connection we felt with the [MK Dons] players and the fans were incredible with us really," Martin said.
"If you look at the challenge that lies ahead here and what Swansea stands for as a football club, after speaking to Julian [Winter] and the owners about why they identified me as someone they wanted to speak to, I felt a connection straight away.
"I've played against this Swansea team throughout the years under Michael Laudrup, Brendan Rodgers, Roberto Martinez and they were always tough to play against. It's very similar to the way I see football."
Chief executive Winter said he had been responsible for drawing a shortlist of potential Cooper successors before Swansea's American owners opted for Martin.
"I speak to them on a regular basis and they were fully engaged in the appointment of the head coach," he said.
"They have a level of interest that is great and they're going to support Russell."
Winter reiterated that Swansea will be active in the transfer market, adding: "We're on with a couple of things and we've added three [players]. He'll get the support to develop the squad."