Swansea City

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Vitor Matos has indicated that Florian Bianchini is unlikely to get game time in his team as Swansea City wait to see whether the forward will move on in this transfer window.

Swansea paid French second-tier club Bastia almost £2m to secure Bianchini's services in the summer of 2024.

But the 25-year-old has struggled to make an impression in English football.

Bianchini, who can play out wide or up front, scored three goals in 38 appearances – only eight of which were league starts – in 2024-25 before being sent on loan to Portsmouth last season.

He played only 11 times for Pompey between August and November 2025 before his season was curtailed thanks in part to a knee injury.

"I think it is important for him to find a place where he feels the value of his football," Matos said.

Bianchini is under contract at Swansea until 2028, but Matos will not stand in the former Amiens player's way should he secure a move before the 1 September transfer deadline.

Even if a move does not come to fruition before the window closes, Matos has hinted that Bianchini and Swansea could part ways.

"I think things will be more clear when the window is closed," the Swansea head coach added.

"Then we see what happens and if he leaves the club. If that doesn't happen, then we need to speak and see what is the best."

Bianchini has featured for Swansea's under-21s, playing in both the Premier League Cup and Premier League Professional Development League this season.

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Chris Wilder thinks Swansea City will be a tough nut to crack at home this season after his Sheffield United side left the Swansea.com Stadium with a point.

United made it two goalless draws from two Championship games this season thanks to a gritty display on Saturday.

The Blades came closest to finding a breakthrough when Callum O'Hare struck the woodwork in what was a forgettable contest.

After leaving with a point, the vastly experienced Wilder said he had tweaked his team's approach to cope with the threat of a Swansea team who were able to introduce Zan Vipotnik and Ross Stewart as second-half substitutes.

"Swansea got off to a fabulous start last week [by winning at Stoke] and they recruited very well in the summer," Wilder said.

"Players that they're bringing on, you look at top scorer in the division [last season] coming on and Ross Stewart, who I've known for a long time.

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"I tried to sign him (Stewart) in my time at Middlesbrough. He is one of the top centre forwards in the division. We changed the shape of the team a little bit to navigate our way through."

Wilder praised his players for not "getting fazed" as they tackled what he described as a "really dominant, possession-based" Swansea team under Vitor Matos.

"I really like the manager," he added.

"Everybody sets up differently and Swansea is going to be a difficult place for teams to come and get a result.

"They had a fabulous start last week - they fully deserved a win at Stoke who obviously spent a lot of money in the transfer window as well.

"Swansea have improved their team as well, lost a [key] player [in Ethan Galbraith] but brought some good players in as well."

Swansea have enjoyed a solid start to the Championship by winning at Stoke and then sharing the spoils with Sheffield United.

A Carabao Cup defeat by Birmingham means they have no midweek fixture, giving Vitor Matos plenty of time to prepare for Saturday's trip to face a Derby County side who drew with Cardiff.

The Swans have defensive concerns after Ben Cabango went off against the Blades, with Cameron Burgess already at risk of missing the entire season.

How much do Swansea's hopes for the campaign hinge on getting defensive reinforcements? What would you do if a big offer was to come in for Zan Vipotnik?

On the field, does anyone deserve a crack against the Swans or is it so far, so good?

Let us know what you think by clicking here.

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Vitor Matos says the transfer market is like a "chess game in the middle of a storm" as Swansea City attempt to do business before the 1 September transfer deadline.

Swansea have made five permanent signings and sealed one loan deal this summer, but remain in the hunt for new faces as the end of the window comes into view.

The Swans are looking to strengthen in central midfield and at centre-back, with the need for a defender looking increasingly great after Ben Cabango limped off with injury during Saturday's draw with Sheffield United.

While the extent of Cabango's injury is not known yet, Swansea already look light in defence having lost Cameron Burgess to a ruptured Achilles.

But when asked after the Blades game whether progress is being made on potential transfer deals, Matos said: "I saw the Porto manager said something two or three weeks ago that the market now is like a chess game.

"I will say it is a chess game in the middle of a storm. So let's see how it goes, I don't know."

Asked whether Swansea were doing well in the chess game, Matos added: "It's still not check-mate!"

Defender Stephen Welsh, attacking midfielder Elijah Just, wingers Joseph Opoku and Moussa Yeo and striker Ross Stewart have arrived at Swansea since the end of last season, while left-back Tiago Parente was brought in on loan to provide cover for Josh Tymon.

Swansea have sold Ethan Galbrath, Ricardo Santos, Liam Cullen, Cameron Congreve and youngster Kyrell Wilson, while Sam Parker, Ollie Cooper and Bobby Wales have departed on loan and Florian Bianchini would be allowed to leave should the opportunity arise.

Swansea also said farewell to Joel Ward and loanees Malick Yalcouye, Gustavo Nunes and Ishe Samuels-Smith at the end of last season.

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Swansea City host Sheffield United on Saturday (15:00 BST) with Vitor Matos urging his players to set the tone for their fans in the opening home Championship game of the new season.

Swansea were formidable on their own patch following the appointment of Matos as head coach last November.

Having struggled in the early stages of 2025-26, Matos' side banked 30 points from 15 league fixtures at the Swansea.com Stadium as they pulled clear of a potential relegation scrap to finish in mid-table.

He wants more of the same this season – and wants his side to set the standards as they take on the Blades.

"We want to be a team that no-one feels comfortable to play against, and especially at our stadium," the Portuguese said.

"We need that connection between the fans and the squad and it's up to us as a team to give the first step by showing energy, by showing intensity, by showing hard work, by showing our football.

"Then the fans give it back and that connection is really important for us. It was really important last season and will be really important this season as well."

Swansea were beaten on their own ground by Birmingham City in the EFL Cup a fortnight ago.

But they take on Sheffield United having made the ideal start to the new Championship campaign by winning at Stoke City last Saturday.

Matos expects a stern test against Chris Wilder's team, who finished 13th last season, two places and four points below Swansea.

"Chris is a really experienced manager who knows the league really well," Matos said.

"Every time his teams are really competitive and they have a clear plan of what to do on the pitch, so we count on a difficult game.

"We need to find a way to impose our game and that's what we will try."

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Vitor Matos says it is "clear" what is required as Swansea City look to put the finishing touches to their squad in the final stages of the transfer window.

Swansea have made five permanent signings so far this summer, with defender Stephen Welsh, attacking midfielder Elijah Just, wingers Joseph Opoku and Moussa Yeo and striker Ross Stewart moving to the Welsh club.

They have also brought in left-back Tiago Parente on loan, leaving centre-back and central midfield as the two areas where Matos remains keen to strengthen.

The need for a new face at the heart of defence has increased after Cameron Burgess (pictured above) suffered an Achilles injury which is likely to rule him out for the season.

"It's clear the profile [Swansea want], so it's now about finding the right ones and seeing which possibilities arise for us," Matos said.

"The market is still open, that means we as a club always try to see if there are opportunities and possibilities to improve the squad in terms of strengths and profiles.

"If it happens, it will happen, if it does not happen, it will not happen. Let's see."

Young striker Bobby Wales has become the latest player to leave Swansea this summer after he completed a loan move to Scottish Premiership side Dundee.

The Swans have sold Liam Cullen, Cameron Congreve and youngster Kyrell Wilson, while Sam Parker and Ollie Cooper have also departed on loan.

Florian Bianchini is among the other fringe players who could leave, but Matos says Zeidane Inoussa remains in his plans even though the Swedish winger has not been involved so far this season.

"He's part of the squad," Matos said.

"It's just with the possibilities we have at the moment, he was not in the squad for the first game [at Stoke]. Let's see for the next one."

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Striker Bobby Wales says Dundee manager Steven Pressley has given him "belief" after moving to Dens Park on a season-long loan from Swansea City.

The 21-year-old arrives after fellow forward and Dundee captain Simon Murray, 34, was ruled out for an extended period with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Scotland Under-21 cap Wales started his career at Kilmarnock, had a productive loan spell at Alloa Athletic and then joined Swansea last summer.

He has made only five substitute appearances for the Welsh club, scoring once, and also struggled for game time on loan at Huddersfield in the second half of last season.

All in all, Wales has scored 21 goals in 84 senior appearances.

"I'm familiar with my surroundings and the league," Wales told club media. "I'm just really happy to be playing football again.

"I want to try and score as many goals as I can. I don't think I've had a chat with a manager that has given me this much belief before."

Wales could make his debut in Saturday's Scottish Premiership trip to face city rivals Dundee United.

"You couldn't ask for a better game to start with and go and make a statement," he added. "As a team I believe we can do well."

Pressley is "very excited" to be working with Wales.

"He's a young player with high potential and already a proven track record within the Scottish Premiership," said the manager.

"It's our job to make him a better player and we think he's got big potential and a high ceiling."

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales

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Championship football returns to the Swansea.com Stadium on Saturday with Vitor Matos hoping for more of the same on home soil this season.

Having begun the new league campaign with a rousing victory at Stoke City, Swansea will aim to make it two second-tier wins from two when Sheffield United come to south Wales.

Beyond the Blades' visit, the goal for Swansea is to replicate the sort of consistency on home soil which was key to their progress under Matos last season.

When he took charge last November, Swansea had taken only nine points from their first eight home league games.

Despite defeat first up against Derby County, Matos' Swans claimed 30 points from 15 home fixtures in 2025-26.

During the period Matos was at the helm, only Coventry City and Ipswich Town – the two sides who won automatic promotion – and Southampton claimed more home Championship points than Swansea.

It was a laudable effort for a side who looked vulnerable when Matos took the reins.

Should Swansea manage two points per home game throughout 2026-27, they will give themselves a serious chance of mounting a play-off push.

The 2-1 victory at Stoke City last weekend was the first time Swansea have won their opening league game of a season in the past six years.

It is eight years since the Swans won their first two matches of an EFL campaign and they come up against a Sheffield United side who were held 0-0 at home by Birmingham City last weekend.

• Swansea City have won just one of their past eight league meetings with Sheffield United (D2 L5), though it was a 1-0 home win last season.

• Sheffield United failed to win either of their league games against Swansea City last term (D1 L1) but they have not gone three in a row without victory against the Swans over consecutive seasons since 1956-57/1957-58.

• Swansea have won each of their past two opening home games of a league campaign, including a 1-0 win over Sheffield United last season. The Swans last won more in succession between 1995-1999 (five wins).

• Sheffield United have won their first away game in just one of their past 14 league campaigns (D3 L10 since 2012-13), beating Preston North End 2-0 in 2024-25.

• On the opening day of the 2026-27 Championship season, Sheffield United recorded the fewest overall shots of any side (3), while also amassing a total of just 0.29 xG (Expected Goals) – their lowest in the league since registering 0.24 vs Leeds in October 2024.

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Former Swansea City forward Lee Trundle believes Zan Vipotnik is worth at least £20m given his clinical touch in front of goal.

Slovenia international Vipotnik netted 23 league goals to end the 2025-26 campaign as the Championship's top scorer.

The Swans recently rejected a bid worth in the region of £10m from Premier League side Hull City for the 24-year-old forward.

Trundle was eager to point to Vipotnik's ruthless ability when making a case for the frontman being worth significantly more than the Tigers offered.

Only three teams had a lower expected goals (XG) figure than Swansea's total of 51.1 in the league last term.

As for Vipotnik himself, his XG was 14.99, meaning he outperformed that figure by 8.01.

"You've just finished as top goalscorer in the Championship in a team that's probably created the least chances out of [those of] every other goalscorer on that board," Trundle said on the BBC's Feast of Football podcast.

"I just think, looking at that, you've got to be looking at £20m-plus, easily."

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Vipotnik has four years to run on his Swans contract, and Trundle says tying the forward down to a longer-term deal in March was hugely beneficial for both the club and the player.

"That automatically bumps the price up because he's got another four years here. If you want him, come and pay the money for him," added Trundle, who now works at Swansea as an ambassador.

"That was right from the club to do it. I think it's the right decision for Vipotnik as well because, if you sign a contract, he's got a pay rise. If someone wants you, they're going to come in and pay it anyway."

Former Swansea player Andy Robinson has described Hull's offer for Viptonik as "pathetic".

And ex-Wales striker Nathan Blake pointed to the hefty sums former Swans Oli McBurnie and Rhian Brewster have been sold for in the past as reasons why Swansea should demand a far bigger fee for Vipotnik.

"It's derisory - he was top scorer in the Championship and you think you can get him for £10m," said Blake.

"If you go back seven years, Swansea had Oli McBurnie, he went for more than £20m, then they had Rhian Brewster on loan from Liverpool and he went [from Liverpool to Sheffield United] for more than £20m.

"Hold on a minute, you've got the top scorer in the Championship here, in this market and in this modern day, if he's not worth £25m to £30m, there's something wrong."

Striker Adam Idah says the Swansea City players and fans feel a good season lies ahead.

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales

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Adam Idah needed only seconds after coming on at Stoke to strike the blow which gave Swansea City the ideal start to the new Championship campaign.

With Zan Vipotnik nursing a calf injury, Idah was Swansea's first choice up front during the majority of pre-season, and started the EFL Cup defeat to Birmingham City last weekend.

Yet when league action began in the Potteries, Idah was back in the position he found himself in all too often last season – on the Swansea bench.

Vipotnik started at the bet365 Stadium but, in truth, had little impact on the game, even if his attempt to head goalwards turned into an assist for Joseph Opoku's first-half equaliser.

The Slovenia international was the star of Swansea's attack in 2025-26, but it was Idah who stole the headlines in Stoke when he rounded off a slick attacking move with a crisp finish to seal all three points for Vitor Matos' team.

After a £6m move from Celtic last September, Idah's first season at Swansea was not easy, with a serious hamstring injury and Vipotnik's form combining to ensure he played only a limited role.

Stoke was Idah's 20th league substitute appearance for Swansea, for whom he has made a mere six Championship starts.

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But the Republic of Ireland international is now up to seven Swans goals in the second tier.

On average, he has scored once every 121 minutes while on the pitch, which is an outstanding return.

The challenge in this campaign for Idah is to get more game-time.

Vipotnik's situation will have an impact, of course, with Swansea waiting to see whether last season's 25-goal leading scorer will still be their player when the transfer window shuts in just over a fortnight's time.

And this season there is a new contender for opportunities in Swansea's attack, with summer recruit Ross Stewart hoping to be available for the first time when Sheffield United visit next weekend.

Swansea have work to do in the closing stages of the market, with greater depth required in midfield and central defence,

But certainly, head coach Matos cannot complain about his options in attack.

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Vitor Matos said he was feeling "emotional" as he celebrated Swansea City's triumph at Stoke City by sprinting across the pitch to savour the moment with travelling fans.

Swansea began the new Championship season by claiming only a second win in their past 16 visits to Stoke – and they were forced to do it the hard way after falling behind early on.

Joseph Opoku capped his impressive league debut with a rapid equaliser before Adam Idah scored with his first touch after coming off the bench in the second half to prompt Matos' flamboyant celebrations at full-time.

"We are really pleased with the fans how they travelled here and supported the team," the Swansea head coach said.

"That was unbelievable to see - they are a big part of what we are trying to do.

"You get emotional in that moment. We wanted to give them something to cheer and I think we did that today."

Idah was sent on alongside Eom Jisung and Melker Widell as Matos made a triple change in an attempt to halt was probably Stoke's best spell of the game around the hour mark.

Within seconds, Idah met Josh Tymon's low cross with the game's pivotal touch.

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Matos insisted his substitutes deserved the credit for changing the tide of the contest, saying: "I think it's more about the players. They came into the game with the right mindset and mentality.

"I am proud of them because of that - it's them understanding it will be a long season, we need everyone.

"If they can have an impact, if it's for five minutes it's five minutes, or if it's for 30 it's 30, that is nice to see."

A rare win at Stoke marks a fine way for Swansea to start the 2026-27 Championship campaign, with attention now turning to next weekend's home fixture against Sheffield United.

"It's always good to win… other teams won as well," Matos said.

"Now it's about preparing for the game against Sheffield United."