Swansea City

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Swansea City came from behind to draw 1-1 with FK Vardar of North Macedonia in their penultimate pre-season fixture.

An experimental starting 11 featuring predominantly academy players including Evan Watts, Filip Lissah and Cameron Congreve fell behind to Djibril Dianessy's goal in the 22nd minute in Friedberg.

But summer signing Goncalo Franco levelled proceedings 16 minutes into the second-half.

Shortly after the Portuguese midfielder's effort, Williams changed his entire 11, bringing on a raft of first team players including club captain Matt Grimes, Jay Fulton, Harry Darling and Ben Cabango.

The Swans conclude their pre-season schedule with a home friendly against Portuguese side Rio Ave on Saturday, 3 August.

Williams' side take on Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium in their 2024-25 Championship opener a week later.

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Former Swansea City striker Oli McBurnie has joined La Liga side Las Palmas.

The Scotland international has signed a three-year deal after his contract at Sheffield United expired last month.

McBurnie scored 26 goals in 144 league appearances for United having joined the Blades for a then club-record £20m fee in August 2019.

Las Palmas finished 16th in La Liga last season, after earning promotion in the 2022-23 season.

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales

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The chances of Jamie Paterson returning to Swansea City are looking increasingly slim as uncertainty over the attacking midfielder’s future continues.

Paterson is officially a free agent after his contract expired last month.

The 32-year-old was offered a new deal by Swansea at the end of last season, but has not signed and has played no part in the club’s preparations for the new Championship campaign.

Paterson has scored 17 goals in 109 appearances since joining Swansea in August 2021, following his release by Bristol City.

He proved last season that he remains capable of having an impact in the second tier, and Swansea head coach Luke Williams had been keen for Paterson to remain at the club alongside fellow experienced pros Kyle Naughton and Joe Allen.

The Swans have given no indication that the contract offer made to Paterson has been withdrawn.

However, the belief within the Welsh club is that Paterson, who has already missed much of pre-season, is unlikely to return.

Paterson scored eight goals last season.

Should the former Nottingham Forest player's exit be confirmed, a Swansea side who struggled to take their chances in 2023-24 will have said farewell to their three leading scorers in what was an arduous campaign, having already lost Jamal Lowe and sent Jerry Yates on loan to Derby County.

They have signed two players capable of playing in a similar role to Paterson - Eom Ji-Sung and Goncalo Franco - while their bid to recruit a proven Championship forward continues.

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Striker Mykola Kuharevich and winger Josh Ginnelly are missing from Swansea City’s squad in Austria because of injury issues.

Kuharevich has featured during pre-season but was left out of the Austria trip after picking up what Swansea say is a minor fitness issue.

Ginnelly, meanwhile, is not yet ready for action as he continues to recover from the ruptured Achilles he suffered in September 2023.

Swansea are short of attacking options having lost the likes of Jerry Yates and Jamal Lowe since the end of last season.

Liam Cullen started as Luke Williams’ team suffered their first pre-season defeat on Tuesday afternoon, going down 2-1 to FC Koln at the Thermenstadion in Bad Waltersdorf.

The German side, who were relegated from the Bundesliga last season, scored two early goals through Tim Lemperle with Ben Cabango pulling one back for the Swans before half-time.

Goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux came on as a first-half substitute having sealed his move to Swansea on Monday night.

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales

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Swansea City have another recruitment box ticked after the signing of goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux, but there remains much work to do before head coach Luke Williams has the squad he wants.

It is coming up to 12 weeks since defeat to Millwall brought the curtain down on Swansea’s arduous 2023-24 campaign - and only 17 days until the new Championship season begins.

Vigouroux, who has arrived from Burnley for an undisclosed fee, fills the hole left by Carl Rushworth’s return to Brighton and Hove Albion, with Swansea confident he is the type of ball-playing keeper who will suit Williams’ style of play.

But vacancies remain across Swansea’s squad, most notably in attack.

Jerry Yates has gone to Derby County and Jamal Lowe is now at Sheffield Wednesday, meaning Liam Cullen and Mykola Kuharevich – who barely got a kick last season – are the only senior strikers on Swansea’s books.

It could be that Brazilian winger Ronald is used in a more central role at times in the new season, but that does not change the fact that Swansea need a centre-forward and preferably one who has a record of scoring goals in the second tier.

Finding that player is the priority for Williams and the club’s recruitment team and, with an opening-day trip to Middlesbrough on 10 August looming ever larger on the horizon, time is of the essence.

But it is not only up front that Swansea need to strengthen.

Image source, Swansea City AFC

They are also in the market for at least one wide player. Ideally, in fact, they would like two, after Przemyslaw Placheta accepted the contract on offer at Oxford United.

Swansea are in need of defensive reinforcements too, with Nathan Wood and Bashir Humphreys not yet replaced.

That leaves Ben Cabango and Harry Darling as Swansea’s only senior central defenders – alongside veteran utility player Kyle Naughton - while the Welsh club’s full-back options are not bountiful either.

Kristian Pedersen and Nathan Tjoe-A-On are back in the fold after being sent out on loan last January, but whether either player will come into the first-team reckoning remains to be seen.

Vigouroux was Swansea’s third signing of the summer, while 11 players – not including Jamie Paterson – have departed since the end of last season.

That sharp contrast illustrates how much business still needs to be done.

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Swansea City Women have signed Wales Under-19 midfielder Maddy Murray.

The 17-year-old joins after a successful trial, having played for the Football Association of Wales Girls’ Academy Under-16s last season.

"Maddy is a young and versatile player who is technically strong and is capable of playing within the Swansea City identity," said manager Jamie Sherwood.

"Maddy represents a shift in our recruitment policy where we want to sign young, hungry and coachable players to continue to shape our way moving forward."

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Swansea City are to face Portuguese top-flight side Rio Ave in their final pre-season friendly at the Swansea.com Stadium on Saturday, 3 August (15:00 BST).

The game will be Swansea’s final warm-up before they start the new Championship season with a trip to Middlesbrough the following weekend.

It will also be the only opportunity for Swans fans to watch their team in the UK during pre-season.

Rio Ave finished 11th in Portugal’s Primeira Liga last season.

Luke Williams’ Swansea squad head out to Austria for a pre-season training camp next week which will feature friendlies against FC Koln (24 July) and FK Vardar (27 July).

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Swansea City are set to benefit from Flynn Downes’ expected move from West Ham United to Southampton.

Midfielder Downes left the Swans to join the Hammers for an initial £9m, potentially rising to £14m with add-ons, in the summer of 2022.

But following a loan spell with the Saints last season, Downes is now poised to move to St Mary’s Stadium on a permanent basis in a deal worth up to £18m.

And due to terms agreed when Downes left Swansea, then managed by current Saints boss Russell Martin, the Welsh club will be due a percentage of the profit made by West Ham when Downes’ switch to the south coast of England is completed.

Downes featured 39 times in all competitions during his sole season at Swansea having joined from Ipswich Town for £1.5m in 2021.

He made 35 appearances across all competitions with boyhood club West Ham during the 2022-23 season, although the majority of those came as a substitute as David Moyes’ side won the Europa Conference League.

After being reunited with Martin, Downes was handed a prominent role last season, featuring 37 times as the Saints gained promotion into the Premier League via the play-offs.

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Swansea City have confirmed that they will face North Macedonian sided FK Vardar on their upcoming pre-season tour to Austria.

The game will take place at Sportzentrum Friedberg at 12:00 BST on Saturday, 27 July.

It will be Swansea's second game of the Austria tour after they face German Bundesliga 2 side FC Koln at Thermenstadion Bad Waltersdorf on Wednesday, 24 July.

FK Vardar play in the Macedonian top flight and have previously faced Welsh opposition - taking on Barry Town in a Uefa Champions League qualifier in 2003.

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Swansea City head coach Luke Williams said his players needed an opportunity to release their "frustrations" on the pitch in the club's first pre-season fixture.

The Swans beat League Two Swindon Town 3-1 in a behind closed doors game at the club's Fairwood training complex on Saturday.

Liam Cullen, Matt Grimes and Mykola Kuharevich scored the goals in a match that followed a morning training session.

Williams told the Swansea City website his players "needed to go and play against live opposition."

"There are a lot of double sessions so there is a lot of frustration for the players to release on the opposition today," he said.

Williams will oversee a week of "hard work" on the training pitch in Fairwood before the squad heads to Austria for a week of preparation which will again involve double training sessions.

New signing Goncalo Franco watched the victory against Swindon but has now finally trained with his new club after he joined from Portugese side Moreirense.

The 23-year-old midfielder's pre-season preparation had been delayed as paperwork was finalised and Williams is looking forward to his contribution.

"I’m sure he is going to be an entertainer. I think he understands already the level of commitment that he has to show," said Williams.

"I think we need to get him up to speed with conditioning, he is a bit off that which is normal of course, so we have a nice few weeks in store for him to get him to the right condition."

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Former Swansea City defender Alan Tate has been named Steve Cooper's number two at Leicester City.

Swansea legend Tate, who left the club in 2021 to join Cooper's staff at Nottingham Forest, had been out of work since departing the City Ground last December .

With Cooper succeeding Enzo Maresca at the King Power Stadium, 41-year-old Tate will once again link up with the Welshman as his assistant.

Goalkeeping coach Danny Alcock, who also left Forest following Cooper's departure, has also joined the Foxes as part of the backroom team.

Former manager Harry Griffiths outlines his football philosophy in this 1977 BBC Wales interview with reporter Peter Walker.

Griffiths, who enjoyed 25 years as a Swansea Town player, is often credited with laying the foundations for John Toshack's successful reign as Swansea City manager.

Toshack took charge in 1978 and kept Griffiths on as his assistant. Sadly, Griffiths would pass away shortly before the team's promotion from the old Fourth Division that year. He was only 47.

Ian Hunt
BBC Sport Wales

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A possible reunion between Luke Williams and Macaulay Langstaff in Swansea is off after Millwall signed Notts County's star striker.

Langstaff had been strongly linked with the Swans this summer, having scored 70 goals in 90 starts for the Magpies in the National League and League Two.

It was thought the fact Langstaff played under Williams at Meadow Lane would give Swansea the edge to sign him - but he is heading for south London rather than south Wales.

The prolific 27-year-old has sealed a move worth a reported £700,000 to Millwall, where he will be working under ex-Cardiff City boss Neil Harris, a former striker himself.

The Lions have signed a player who won the League Two Golden Boot award for 2023-24, having scored 28 goals - four more than both Wrexham’s Paul Mullin and Salford City’s Matt Smith.

He was also named in the EFL Team of the Season for League Two, two years after joining County from Gateshead in 2022.

Missing out on a goalscorer as prolific as Langstaff is a blow to Swansea, even if he is untested at Championship or even League One level.

Swansea are desperate for a striker capable of at least getting close to the 20-goal-a-season mark.

Last season's top scorer for the Swans in the Championship was Jamal Lowe with nine, one more than Jerry Yates who has since joined Derby County on loan.

Of course, it is not just in attack that Williams wants to strengthen his squad. Reinforcements are wanted right across the pitch.

That search for new faces continues - with less than five weeks until the 2024-25 Championship campaign begins.

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

It has looked inevitable for a while that Nathan Wood would be leaving Swansea City this summer.

With the centre-back’s move to Southampton now confirmed, there may be some at Swansea wondering whether, with hindsight, they should have sold him 11 months ago.

Russell Martin’s Saints had two offers for Wood rejected last August.

At that stage, Southampton were prepared to pay about £7m rising to £10m for the England Under-21 international.

While the transfer fee is officially undisclosed, BBC Sport Wales understands Southampton have eventually got their man for just £3m, with add-ons taking the deal to a potential £4.5m.

The Swans will have to give a slice of the profit made on Wood to Middlesbrough, as a result of a sell-on clause in the deal which brought him to Wales for about £400,000 in 2022.

His signing was a success for Swansea. Despite some injury issues, Wood managed 72 appearances in his two seasons at Swansea, establishing himself as one of the brightest young defenders in the Championship.

But with Wood’s contract up next summer – and the player apparently making clear he wanted to move on – Swansea were left with little option but to sell for what looks a low price, given the player's potential.

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Swansea City will face FC Koln in friendly on Wednesday, 24 July as part of a week-long pre-season training camp in Austria.

Luke Williams’ team will meet Koln, who were relegated from the Bundesliga last season, at Thermenstadion Bad Waltersdorf (15:00 BST), with the game open to supporters.

Swansea say they are hoping to arrange a second game during their stay in Austria, when they will be based near the town of Stegersbach.

The Welsh club have not announced any other pre-season fixtures.

Swansea begin new the Championship campaign with a trip to Middlesbrough on Saturday, 10 August.

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

With no new signings on board and many of last season’s squad gone, numbers have been a little light during the first week of pre-season training at Swansea City.

Luke Williams will have fingers crossed that reinforcements will arrive soon.

The good news for Swansea’s head coach is that a move for South Korean winger or attacking midfielder Eom Ji-Sung looks close to being secured, while the Championship club are understood to be a fair way down the line on a couple of other potential deals.

The question of what comes next for Jamie Paterson, meanwhile, is still to be answered.

With his contract is up this summer, Paterson is now a free agent.

For the moment, the offer of a new Swansea deal remains on the table – but there is still no clear indication on whether the 32-year-old intends to extend his stay in Wales.

Paterson has scored 17 goals in 109 appearances since joining Swansea after his release by Bristol City in 2021.

Williams has made it clear he wants the attacking midfielder to be part of his squad in 2024-25, but whether he gets his wish remains to be seen.

The risk for Paterson in delaying his decision is that Swansea will look elsewhere, though the player is bound to have other options.

Intriguingly, Paterson posted pictures of what appeared to be a Charlotte FC game on social media on Thursday.

The MLS team are managed by ex-Aston Villa boss Dean Smith, who was Walsall manager when a young Paterson was given a first-team chance by the Saddlers more than a decade ago.

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Swansea City first-team coach Kristian O’Leary is celebrating 30 years since he joined the club as a player.

Local lad O’Leary, 46, signed for the Swans as a teenager in 1994.

He would go on to make more than 300 senior appearances before leaving the club in 2010.

O’Leary returned as a coach in 2012, losing his job when manager Garry Monk was sacked in 2015 before rejoining the Swans’ staff in 2021.

“Thirty years ago today I walked through the Vetch Field gates as a YTS (youth training scheme player),” O’Leary wrote on social media., external

“Always an honour and privilege to represent this amazing club.”

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Swansea City Women have signed goalkeeper Charlie Haynes, subject to international clearance and Football Association of Wales (FAW) approval.

Haynes, 26, joins the Swans on a semi-professional contract following her time with Keynsham Town Ladies, and will formally join the club when the FAW’s player registration window opens on July 15.

Haynes is the first signing made by new manager Jamie Sherwood, who she previously worked with at Yeovil.

Haynes represented Great Britain in beach football at the 2019 World Beach Games in Doha.

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Swansea City’s early-season south Wales derby meeting with Cardiff City has been put back 24 hours after being selected for live TV coverage.

Luke Williams' side had been due to host the Bluebirds on Saturday, 24 August, but the fixture will now be played on Sunday, 25 August, with a 15:00 BST kick-off.

The Swans’ home game against Bristol City has also been put back a day because it will be shown live on Sky Sports.

That match will now take place on Sunday, 29 September (15:00 BST).

As a result, Swansea’s trip to Sheffield United has also been put back 24 hours, meaning that will now take place on Wednesday, 2 October (19:45 BST).

Swansea start the new Championship campaign with a trip to Middlesbrough on Saturday, 10 August.