Swansea City need to trigger Joel Ward u-turn ASAP | OneFootball

Swansea City should be looking to move on from Joel Ward this summer

As the 2025/26 campaign drew to a close, it would have been a safe bet that veteran defender Joel Ward would be on Swansea City's released list this summer when his short-term contract came to an end.

However, Crystal Palace legend Ward was not on the released list, with the club revealing they were still in talks with the 36-year-old over a new deal, a move that raised eyebrows amongst the Jack Army.

Ward joined Swansea in January amid a bit of a right-back crisis, with Josh Key enduring a tough run of form which meant star midfielder Ethan Galbraith was shoehorned to fill in for him out of position. Given his experience and status as a free agent, signing the former Palace man made perfect sense.

However, Swansea's right-back situation looks considerably different this summer, and with a number of promising youngsters on the verge of breaking through, a new deal for Ward risks stunting their development.

A new deal for Joel Ward could harm the development of Sam Parker and Filip Lissah

Ward has been a solid option for Swansea when called upon and his experience has undoubtedly been invaluable for Vitor Matos' side, but with Sam Parker and Filip Lissah waiting in the wings, it would make sense to part with the 36-year-old this summer.

19-year-old Parker featured regularly in the last couple of weeks of the season, with his performances showing exactly why PSV Eindhoven, RB Leipzig and Burnley were linked with him in 2024.

Parker was seen as Swansea's next big thing as a 17-year-old during the 2023/24 campaign, and while injuries have hampered that progress, there have been clear signs of his ability in the last couple of months and if he can string a couple of games together, then there's no reason why he can't kick on next season.

Swansea also have 21-year-old Filip Lissah returning from his loan at Falkirk, and there are high hopes for the ex-Chelsea academy product in SA1.

Lissah can play across the backline, but his favoured position is right-back, and he earned rave reviews north of the border for his performances in his breakthrough senior season.

The youngster won Falkirk's Young Player of the Year award and was one of the first names on the teamsheet, so it would be a real shock if he's not part of Matos' plans moving forward.

With two young right-backs on Swansea's books, Josh Key, who is now an experienced campaigner at Championship level, and Ethan Galbraith, who can slot in at right-back, you have to question whether Ward is needed ahead of the 2026/27 season.

Swansea City need to prioritise other positions

With Lissah and Parker breaking through, Swansea have depth at right-back, but they really lack depth in other defensive positions.

Josh Tymon is still the club's only recognised left-back, while Ben Cabango and Cameron Burgess are Swansea's only real options at centre-back, with Ricardo Santos seemingly having no future at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Ward can fill in at centre-back if needed, but he's a right-back by trade, and Swansea should be looking to recruit a central defender who is competing with Cabango and Burgess for a starting berth.

Given the fact Ward started just three Championship games during his short-term contract, it remains to be seen how often he will feature if he does join the club permanently, and it feels like Swansea should use their resources elsewhere.

It was the perfect mid-season signing for a struggling club who needed depth, but signing him on a longer-term basis runs the risk of harming two promising young players with the potential to make the club money in years to come.