By David Williams
New Swansea City signing Jamal Lowe has claimed he was attracted by the club’s “game-changing” achievements in the Premier League.
The 26-year-old winger has completed a move from Wigan for a fee believed to be around £800,000 and signed a three-year deal with an option for a fourth.
He becomes the club’s third new signing of the summer after Korey Smith’s switch from Bristol City and Morgan Gibbs-White’s loan move from Wolves. The club have also managed to gain renewed loans deals for Marc Guehi from Chelsea and Nottingham Forest’s Freddie Woodman.
Former PE teacher Lowe spent four years playing non-league football, but had previously made a breakthrough at Barnet, from where he said he became an admirer of the Swans’ playing style after they swept into the Premier League.
“I enjoyed watching that side play,” he said. “That was the first season in the Premier League and they had such a dynamic way of playing.
“That was a philosophy that was not really seen in the Premier League at that time probably, it just changed the game, really.”
Lowe was understood to be wanted by a number of other Championship clubs as Wigan looked to offload their major assets following their move into administration and subsequent relegation to League One.
But he has claimed Swansea were the ones that made the biggest impression after holding talks with head coach Steve Cooper.
The winger – who went through eight non-league clubs in various moves after leaving Barnet – got back into the Football League with Portsmouth under former Swans manager Kenny Jackett.
He then joined Wigan for a year and played in all 46 league matches for the club last season, including the Latics’ two defeats to the Swans.
“Obviously Swansea are a great footballing side, both times we played against them they passed us off the park, to be fair,” Lowe told Swansea’s website.
“That did not happen to Wigan too much last season, so it made an impression.
“Someone also dug out some old tweets of mine from 2011 when I was tweeting about Swansea. I was tweeting about them then and I’m sure I’ll be tweeting plenty about them now.
“The conversations I’ve had with the gaffer has made a positive impression on me. Also, the stature and size of the club is something you cannot escape.
“You cannot ignore it, and every time the gaffer spoke to me, he told me the story of what he is looking for and I completely bought into it.
“He spoke about the hunger of the players, he spoke about what a tight-knit squad there is here, and that is massive for me.
“Some clubs have not got the right environment for it all to fully flourish, but this sounded like the perfect package and a good fit for me.”
Lowe’s arrival puts a question mark over the future of wingers Barrie McKay and Kristoffer Peterson, but Joel Asoro is likely to stay with the club.
LOWE AND BEHOLD! 🙌
Jamal Lowe has joined the #Swans for an undisclosed fee! ✍️
👉 https://t.co/0QKm2H4MJy#CroesoJamal 👋 pic.twitter.com/yjQ8FNXudn
— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) August 27, 2020
Lowe added: “I have shown I can perform at this level, that was a real test for me last season with it being my first year in the Championship. I want to kick on from here now.”
“Earlier in my career I had four years out of the EFL, and I was hungry to get back in. I was never going to let the chance go when it came up, and it’s meant I have had to mature quickly.
“It’s the same with the move here, I will give 100 per cent week in and week out.”
