Swansea City struck gold with Arsenal free transfer agreement | OneFootball

Swansea City signed Lukasz Fabianski on a free transfer from Arsenal in 2014 and it proved an inspired move

Lukasz Fabianski is still going strong in the Premier League for West Ham at the age of 39, becoming a household name in the top-flight of English football and Swansea City can take plenty of credit for that.

Fabianski spent four years with the Swans, becoming a first choice goalkeeper in the Premier League for the first time in his career, even developing a reputation as one of the top-flight's best goalkeepers at one point.

The Polish international had spent his entire time in English football at Arsenal prior to the move to SA1 in 2014, and it's fair to say he didn't always have the best of reputations in North London, making his Swansea move a risky one.

However, on a free transfer, it's fair to say that Swansea struck gold when they secured his signature in May 2014 and the veteran shot-stopper is fondly remembered in south Wales.

Swansea City struck gold when they signed Lukasz Fabianski from Arsenal

Fabianski had spent seven years in total at the Emirates Stadium, making just 78 appearances, most of which came in cup competitions, and with his contract expiring in the summer of 2014, he was on the hunt for regular Premier League football.

It's not unfair to say that he didn't always have the best of reputations at the Emirates Stadium, but he had shown what he was capable of in his last season at the club, playing in their FA Cup run as the Gunners lifted the famous old trophy at Wembley.

Swansea needed a goalkeeper, with uncertainty over Michel Vorm's future at the club, and he completed a move to Spurs in July 2014, paving the way for Fabianski to play regular Premier League football for the first time.

It was an opportunity that Fabianski took with both hands, and he played 37 Premier League games for Swansea during the 2014/15 season, missing just one game through suspension, helping his side to an 8th place finish and completing a league double over Arsenal.

The next couple of seasons weren't so successful from the Swans' point of view, but Fabianski continued to impress, playing 37 league games during the 2015/16 campaign where he kept nine clean sheets, and he began to develop a reputation as a quality Premier League shot-stopper.

Another 37 games followed during the 2016/17 campaign as Swansea narrowly avoided relegation, before the Polish international played every single Premier League game during the 2017/18 campaign.

While 2017/18 was his best in a Swansea shirt, the club were relegated to the Championship, and when a teary-eyed Fabianski made his way round the pitch after the final game of the season, it was clear he would be moving on that summer.

He won the Player of the Season award for Swansea despite their relegation, and he sealed a move to West Ham in the summer worth £7million, bringing down the curtain on his time in south Wales.

While £7million wasn't much for a player of Fabianski's quality, it was still a profit after his move on a free transfer four years earlier, and nobody could begrudge him the chance to remain a Premier League player.

Lukasz Fabianski is still going strong for West Ham United

Despite turning 40 later this season, Fabianski is still going strong for West Ham United and is still playing regularly in the Premier League.

He's now made well over 200 appearances for the Hammers, meaning he's played more games for them than he has for any other club, a statistic that will undoubtedly hurt Swansea supporters.

The Polish goalkeeper has had a few spells at West Ham where he's not first choice, but he always seems to win his position back, testament to his quality and durability at 39 years old.

Who knows where Fabianski would be now if Swansea hadn't signed him and offered him regular first-team football in 2014, and it's not unfair to say that the move to SA1 helped make him the player he is today.