Bodo/Glimt's Danish forward Kasper Junker (front) celebrates after he scores (1-0) during the football match between Stromsgodset IF and Bodo/Glimt at Marienlyst Stadion in Drammen on November 22, 2020. (Photo by Fredrik Varfjell / NTB / AFP) / Norway OUT (Photo by FREDRIK VARFJELL/NTB/AFP via Getty Images)
According to claims from TEAMtalk (h/t Glasgow Live), Swansea City are among a host of English clubs interested in signing Danish striker Kasper Junker during the January transfer window.
The 26-year-old, who currently plies his trade with Norwegian heavyweights Bodo/Glimt, has also attracted interest from Championship rivals Derby County, Middlesbrough and Bristol City. Premier League sides West Brom and Crystal Palace have also been mentioned among the potential suitors for the free-scoring hitman. (TEAMtalk h/t Glasgow Live)
Kasper Junkers started his professional career with Randers in the Danish Superligaen during the 2013-14 season and subsequently went on to feature for the likes of AGF and Horsens in the top-flight. However, he was loaned out to Norwegian outfit Stabaek in August 2019 after managing an overall tally of just 8 goals in 84 league appearances in Denmark.
The 26-year-old enjoyed an upturn in form, scoring 6 times in 12 appearances for Stabaek in the 2019 Eliteserien. That paved the way for a permanent move to Bodo/Glimt and Junker plundered an astonishing 27 goals and 8 assists in 25 league appearances to propel the club to the Eliteserien crown in 2020.
Swansea are currently 7 points adrift of pace-setters Norwich City but the gap to 2nd-placed Bournemouth stands at just 2 points. With several crunch fixtures set to follow over the Christmas and New Year period, the Swans need to maintain their consistency to keep pace with their promotion rivals.
Cooper needs to have one eye on bolstering his squad with some new signings during the mid-season trading period. Swansea currently have the best defensive record in the division with just 12 goals conceded but they can certainly improve on their numbers at the other end of the pitch, having scored just 23 so far.
Andre Ayew has been the key goal contributor for the Swans with 7 goals and 2 assists in 19 appearances so far. Jamal Lowe has scored thrice in his last three league fixtures after breaking a ten-game goal drought in the Championship.
However, with loanees Viktor Gyokeres and Kasey Palmer as well as youngster Liam Cullen offering very little, Swansea surely need to seek some additional firepower next month.
Putting things into context, Kasper Junker perfectly fits the profile of an in-form striker that Swansea need to aid their push for automatic promotion. The Dane has racked up some truly incredible numbers in the Norwegian top-flight and looks capable of adding more creativity and goals to the Swans’ forward line.
Suffice to say, the potential arrival of Kasper Junker in January would certainly alleviate the goalscoring burden on the likes of Ayew and Lowe at the Liberty Stadium. Having said that, Swansea could well be on their way to promotion glory if the Dane manages to score even half the number of goals that he managed at Bodo/Glimt last season.