Stoke City plotting audacious Swansea transfer bid for West Ham target | OneFootball

Stoke City are aiming to secure the signing of Swansea City's Ethan Galbraith, who has recently been linked with West Ham and Wrexham

The future of Swansea City's Ethan Galbraith looks to be an interesting story this summer in the Championship, as the highly-rated 25-year-old could likely be on the move, one year on from his switch to South Wales.

The former Manchester United academy star shone in his first season in the second tier last term, following his £1.5 million arrival from Leyton Orient, scoring three and assisting once, while showcasing the versatility he is almost famed for.

Indeed, Galbraith spent time across the midfield, as well as at right-back, where he ended the campaign before a calf injury ruled him out for the final seven games of the season.

Around that time, Swansea took the opportunity to try and extend the 25-year-old's stay at the Swansea.com Stadium, as the Swans looked to tie down another one of their top assets, following the extension of Championship top scorer Zan Vipotnik.

But, they were left disappointed when Galbraith rejected their advances, with reports stating the offer fell "well short" of what he and his camp wanted, and thus, murmurs of a move away started to surface.

Wrexham , before FLW exclusively revealed that recently relegated West Ham were also interested earlier this month. Now, another Championship side is looking to rival that interest.

Stoke City readying bid for Ethan Galbraith

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According to John Percy of The Telegraph, Stoke City are set to be the newest members of the Galbraith pursuit, as they're lining up a somewhat ambitious bid for the Swansea man.

The Northern Irishman is emerging as a "top target" for the Potters, who need midfield additions throughout the ongoing transfer window, with this summer acting as a changing of the guard in the engine room at the bet365 Stadium.

Stoke opted against offering veteran midfielder Steven Nzonzi and Lewis Baker new deals at the end of last season, leaving Tatsuki Seko, Ben Pearson, and Tomas Rigo as the only recognisable central midfielders at the club.

The latter two were far from ever-present in Mark Robins' side last year, either, so a new starting middle man, who can deputise at right-back if Junior Tchamadeu continues to have injury issues as he did last term, would be ideal for Stoke.

Galbraith did a bit of everything last season, making the most recoveries out of any right back in the Championship, while also ranking in the top five per cent of those in his position for successful dribbles, possession won in the final third, successful passes and accurate long balls, per Fotmob.

The 25-year-old could have the Premier League in his future if he continues on this trajectory, so if Stoke can get him over the line ahead of some divisional rivals, and ones expected to challenge atop the division, too, it would be a real statement of intent ahead of next season.

How Stoke City and Swansea City fans are reacting to the fresh Ethan Galbriath update

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With Stoke being the epitome of underachievement in the Championship ever since they were relegated back to the second tier in 2018, seeing them make what many believe to be such an ambitious signing is definitely getting Potters fans excited.

Meanwhile, the prospect of selling to a divisional rival doesn't impress Swansea, especially to one who has finished between 14th and 18th in each of the last eight second-tier seasons.

"Would be a baffling move for him and a serious lack of ambition if we let him go there!" one Swansea fan said. "When I tell you I'd never watch football again if we sell to STOKE," another disgusted Swans fan added.

On the other side of the coin, Stoke fans are reacting rather positively, as expected. "What a signing that would be," one fan outlined. "Wow, that is ambitious," another said, almost in disbelief at the report.

With at least two more years left on his Swansea deal, plus another year's option, the Welsh outfit holds all the cards in a Galbraith move. The 25-year-old may want to move away, but there's little chance that Vitor Matos' side will accept anything less than what they believe him to be worth.

Therefore, if a deal can be struck with Stoke, it would indicate a massive sense of ambition ahead of next season at the bet365 Stadium, something that has started to become alien to Potters fans in recent years. It would definitely be a cause for excitement.