Swansea City update involving Leicester City will put Adam Idah on red alert | OneFootball

Adam Idah must step up for Swansea City this summer following the imminent departure of Liam Cullen to Leicester City

Swansea City’s summer business has ramped up in recent weeks, as head coach Vitor Matos looks to put his imprint on the Welsh outfit, though with a surprise sale on the verge of completion, he will be looking towards one player to step things up.

The summer transfer window began slowly in South Wales for Swansea, with the Championship outfit weighing up all of their options before making a serious move for any player.

Now, four new faces have followed Leo Walta through the doors at the Swansea.com Stadium, with the Fin seeing his loan move become permanent from Swedish side Sirius.

Moussa Yeo has joined from RB Salzburg, having previously worked with Matos in Austria; Elijah Just joins from Motherwell for around £5 million, having thrust himself into the limelight with New Zealand at the World Cup, whilst Ghanaian winger Joseph Opoku arrives from Belgian outfit Zulte Waregem for around £6 million, and Stephen Welsh on a free transfer from Celtic to reinforce the defence.

However, a fresh exit looks to be on the cusp of going through, as the Swans’ Irish striker Adam Idah must use this as an opportunity to step up to the fore.

Adam Idah must elevate his game next season for Swansea City after Leicester City agree a deal to sign Liam Cullen

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Whilst four have arrived through the doors in South Wales, only a couple have gone the other way, namely Ricardo Santos heading to Sheffield Wednesday and Ethan Galbraith to Stoke City, the latter for around £10 million.

Now, there appears to be another departure on the cusp of being confirmed, as Welsh international Liam Cullen looks to be heading to League One Leicester City.

Cullen, 27, has made 207 appearances for his boyhood club across all competitions, scoring 37 and assisting 13, but now looks set to take the step down to the third tier to link up with Russell Martin's side.

Despite strong competition in forward areas, Cullen has managed over 40 league appearances in each of the last three seasons, and will be difficult to replace, but Irish striker Adam Idah must find a way.

Idah, 25, joined Swansea last summer in an initial £6 million deal from Scottish outfit Celtic, and managed just six goals and two assists in 25 league appearances during his first year at the club.

With Slovenian forward Zan Vipotnik grabbing the Championship golden boot with 23 goals across the campaign, Idah struggled to break into the side, with Cullen often preferred over him.

Now, with Cullen on his way out, a gap in the side may just open itself, though his route into the side is still far from clear.

Adam Idah may struggle to shift Zan Vipotnik out of the Swansea City side

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Vipotnik, after a quiet first year in the United Kingdom following his move from Bordeaux, caught fire last season and grabbed 28 goal contributions across 49 games in all competitions for Swansea last season.

With interest from the likes of West Ham United having emerged, the Welsh outfit acted fast to tie the 24-year-old down to a new deal in South Wales, as he is expected to continue to lead the line for the club next season.

Idah is best utilised as the out-and-out centre-forward, but with Vipotnik firmly ahead of him in Matos' pecking order, he must make one hell of an impression to earn meaningful minutes next campaign.

The 40-capped Irishman could theoretically play deeper or out wide, but with an array of attacking additions, that appears to be unlikely.

Cullen's departure leaves a gap, though whether Idah can fill it remains to be seen; he must find a way to live up to his £6 million price tag sooner rather than later.

Vitor Matos must implore Adam Idah to step up at Swansea City following Liam Cullen’s Leicester City switch

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With Cullen on his way to Leicester, Idah will surely get the chance to impress more often for Swansea next season.

A hamstring injury curtailed his season last time around, keeping him out for 17 consecutive games, where he had made an appearance in every single game prior to that, though more often than not off of the bench.

Idah has shown glimpses of his ability in spells with Norwich City and Celtic, and now, it's time for the 25-year-old to step up to the mantle following Cullen's exit, challenge Vipotnik for a starting berth, and live up to his price tag.