Swansea City sign Derby's Morgan Whittaker, Paul Arriola and Kieron Freeman
- Published
Morgan Whittaker has represented England at all age groups from under-16 to under-20
Swansea City have signed Derby County forward Morgan Whittaker for around £700,000, DC United's Paul Arriola on loan and Swindon's Kieron Freeman.
USA international Arriola, 25, and Freeman have joined Swansea until the end of the season.
Arriola can play in midfield or on the right flank, while Freeman, 28, is a right-sided full-back or wing-back.
Freeman signs for an undisclosed fee, with Swansea's Jordon Garrick joining Swindon on loan as part of the deal.
Derby academy product Whittaker, 20, can operate up front or out wide.
He made 21 appearances for the Rams last season but has featured on only 11 occasions so far in this campaign.
The fee for Whittaker, who has represented England at all age groups from under-16 to under-20, is officially undisclosed.
Paul Arriola scored twice in USA's 7-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago at the weekend
Arriola has scored eight goals in 35 appearances for the USA having played in the MLS for DC United since 2017. He previously played in Mexico for Tijuana.
Freeman was released by Sheffield United at the end of last season having played 141 games - and scored 17 goals - across two spells with the Blades.
He played 23 times as Chris Wilder's team won promotion to the Premier League in 2018-19 and featured on seven occasions last season.
Freeman, who has also played for the likes of Nottingham Forest, Derby and Portsmouth, has been capped once by Wales, in Albania in November 2018.
Having been a free agent since the end of last term, Freeman signed a contract running until the end of he season with Swindon earlier this month but has now agreed a similar deal with Swansea.
Swansea have also allowed 22-year-old winger Garrick, who has made only five appearances this season, to join the League One club on loan until the end of the season.
Head coach Steve Cooper had also been hoping to sign an out-and-out centre-forward after losing Liam Cullen to a long-term injury.
Kieron Freeman has made 233 senior appearances in club football
As well as the Cullen injury blow, Swansea saw striker Viktor Gyokeres recalled from his loan at the Liberty Stadium by Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this month.
Leeds United's 19-year-old striker Sam Greenwood was one of the players Swansea showed an interest in but it appears the Premier League club are unwilling to sanction a loan deal.
Speaking after Saturday's 3-1 win at Rotherham United, Cooper confirmed he would like to add a striker to his squad.
"I hope so," he said.
"We've lost Liam Cullen for probably the season. If he gets back just before [the end of the season] then it'll be a bonus for him, but it's certainly going to be three months.
"I think, in an ideal world, when you play two up top you have two replacements and we haven't got that at the moment.
"That would be nice. If we do it, then great. If we don't, we will crack on."
Swansea are also set to be without veteran forward Wayne Routledge for a significant spell after he suffered a calf injury.
Winger Joel Asoro has returned to the Liberty Stadium after his season-long loan at Genoa was cut short, but Cooper has already said the Swede will not be part of his plans.