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This time last season, Liam Cullen could have been forgiven for thinking his Swansea City career was coming to an end.

The then 23-year-old had returned from an uninspiring loan spell at League One Lincoln City where he'd scored just once in 20 games.

He then found himself playing a bit-part role for Swansea during the first-half of the 2022/23 campaign, where he made just six substitute appearances in the league before the middle of the December.

In fact, before Swansea's trip to Coventry on the 17th December, the Welshman had amassed just 61 minutes of Championship football all season. Given his lack of minutes, an uninspiring loan spell in League One and January fast approaching, you'd have been forgiven for thinking Liam Cullen's Swansea career was coming to an end.

However, that day in the West Midlands may just have changed the striker's career. With Swansea 3-0 down and staring down the barrel of a humiliating defeat, the Welsh side produced a magnificent second-half comeback to come away with a point. Cullen scoring the equaliser in the 84th minute to ensure the Jacks came away with a share of the spoils.

The Swansea academy product would score again from the bench the following week in a defeat to Reading, before being rewarded with a first league start of the season against Watford in their next game. He scored yet again to make it three in three.

All of a sudden, Cullen became a valuable member of Swansea's side and any talk of a January move soon faded away. He'd score five more goals before the end of the season, including one against bitter rivals Cardiff.

How has Liam Cullen performed for Swansea this season?

Playing in a slightly different role under Michael Duff, Cullen has only scored twice this season but has become a mainstay in the Swansea side nonetheless.

He's started 11 out of Swansea's 15 league games this season, including the last nine games. His return to the starting team has coincided with Swansea picking up points after a dreadful opening month-and-a-half to the season.

According to Sofascore, he's outperformed his expected goals with a return of 2 goals from 1.42xg, and has missed no big chances this season. This shows that Cullen's lack of goals this season isn't down to a lack of quality in front of goal, it's just a consequence of his different role in the side.

The 24-year-old has been rewarded with consistent call-ups to the Welsh national team in recent months. He finally made his international debut in Wales' 4-0 win over Gibraltar last month, where he played the full 90 minutes.

Has there been any transfer interest in Liam Cullen?

Cullen's deal with Swansea is set to expire at the end of the 2023/24 season, however there is an option of an extra year.

With his deal potentially set to expire next year, it was rumoured that fellow Championship clubs Hull City and Stoke City were keen on the attacker in the summer transfer window, according to Football Insider.

Blackburn Rovers were also keen on the Welsh international, but it was thought that financing a move was proving difficult for the Lancashire-based outfit, according to Lancashire Live.

In late October, the BBC reported that Swansea had opened talks with Cullen over a new deal.

However, nothing has been signed yet, and both parties will want this resolved by the time the January transfer window opens.

Having joined the club at 8-years-old and progressed through the ranks, it would be a massive shame if Cullen were to leave the club.