By Chris Barney
Evening Post

La Liga duo Albert Serran and Federico Bessone are due to sign for Swansea City within 48 hours after undergoing medicals today.

Manager Roberto Martinez looks to have ended 18 months of scouting the Espanyol pair as they are set to sign up at the Liberty Stadium before the weekend.

The much-anticipated arrival of Spaniard Serran will cost Swansea around 90,000 Euros (£70,000) despite reports suggesting he had been released from his contract with Espanyol.

Rumours had also circulated that the deal would include a buy-back clause, which has since been rubbished by the club.

Argentinian Bessone - known as Fede - arrives on a free transfer after failing to break into first-team plans at the Olympic Stadium.

The 24-year-old Cordoba-born left-back spent last season on loan at Segunda club Gimnastic, and also holds an Italian passport, which avoids any work permit problems.

Chairman Huw Jenkins is looking forward to seeing the pair in action, as long as all goes well with their medicals in Swansea this afternoon.

"We have tracked them for some time and we feel we have attracted two quality players by not breaking the bank," he said.

"A lot of hard work has gone into this and we are eagerly waiting to see how they adapt to the squad."

Should the pair sign as expected, it will go some way to making up for the Derby County Ferrie Bodde situation, which has dominated the summer headlines.

Southend target Mark Gower is still very much on the radar, though the Evening Post understands a move for him may happen early next week rather than at the weekend.

And Jenkins pledged that more new faces would be heading to the Liberty soon.

"There will be more," he confirmed. "We are confident that we will start the new season off with a stronger squad than what we had at the end of last season."