Stoke City v Swansea City will have added spice on August 15th after transfer twists | OneFootball

Stoke City host Swansea City on the opening day of the Championship season in a game which will certainly be a heated affair

Stoke City and Swansea City will both have their sights set on the Championship top six next season in the midst of a busy summer transfer window, as one bit of recent news has put an added bit of spice on when the two face each other on the opening day at the bet365 Stadium.

Both Stoke and Swansea are entering their ninth consecutive years in the second tier, with the pair having been relegated together from the Premier League back in 2018.

Since then, Stoke have only finished above Swansea once, back in the 2021/22 campaign when the Potters finished 14th, and the Swans finished 15th. Aside from that, the Welsh outfit has always performed consistently better than their English rivals.

In fact, Stoke haven't recorded a top-half finish in any league they have been in over the last decade, with it being a miserable past ten years for Potters supporters.

However, as the two clubs prepare to face each other at the bet365 Stadium on the opening day of the Championship season, there is every reason to believe that it could be a competitive and feisty affair, especially after recent transfer news.

Stoke City host Swansea City on the opening day of the Championship season as Ethan Galbraith looks set for an early revisit by his former side

Action images

Mark Robins oversaw a catastrophic dip in form last season, with Stoke falling all the way from the play-off places in November to 17th by the end of the campaign, with only Sheffield Wednesday picking up fewer points than the Potters over the final 30 games of the year.

The former Coventry City boss has come under question for his role at the helm following this massive dip in form, with Football League World previously exclusively reporting that Stoke were seeking alternatives in case of the 56-year-old's departure.

However, as it stands, Robins will be in the dugout shaking Vitor Matos' hand in the opening game of the Championship season when the two sides meet in North Staffordshire to kick off the campaign.

Robins is looking to cement his role in his position at Stoke by stamping his authority on the transfer window, having already completed deals for Josh Griffiths from West Bromwich Albion and Djibril Soumare from Braga, whilst Svante Ingelsson looks set to join from Sheffield Wednesday.

Now, the Potters are really looking to ensure they launch themselves into the top half of the Championship next season by making a bid worth north of £10 million for Swansea midfielder Ethan Galbraith, which has since been accepted.

Galbraith, 25, joined Swansea last summer for a mere £1.5 million from Leyton Orient, and in his first year in the Championship, made 39 league appearances, balancing his game time between right-back and midfield and heavily impressing in both.

As such, both Wrexham and West Ham United have also been linked with a move for the international midfielder, the latter as exclusively revealed by Football League World previously, but now, it appears as though he is on his way to the Potteries.

Should Galbraith indeed complete his lucrative switch to Stoke, his first opponent in the Championship will be that of his former club, in what is quickly shaping up to be a feisty fixture.

Swansea, despite consistently outperforming Stoke in the league, have won just one of their last 15 visits to the bet365 Stadium dating back to 2001, and with Galbraith potentially on their opposition's side on the opening day, some Swans fans will be dreading the game, whilst others may be relishing it.

Galbraith's decision to reject a fresh deal with Swansea back in April drew up fears of a potential exit this summer, and now, those fears have been realised.

Whether Galbraith will be in the Stoke starting 11 on the opening day of the season remains to be seen, but as that possibility edges ever closer, Swansea supporters surely won't be looking forward to reuniting acquaintances with their soon-to-be former star.

The bet365 Stadium could be the host of a hotly contested fixture on the opening day

Action Images

By the time August 15th rolls around, where Galbraith will be playing his football next season will surely be sealed.

Whether he is in the red and white stripes of Stoke, the white of Swansea, or in the colours of another club remains to be seen, as until a deal has been confirmed.

Stoke and certainly Robins will be hoping that is not the case by all means, with the former Coventry boss putting a lot of his eggs in one basket with the potential addition of Galbraith.

Should the 25-year-old indeed be facing Swansea on the opening day of the season, there is no doubt the reception he will receive from the away section will be frosty at best, as Swans fans have every right to feel aggrieved over his proposed move to Stoke.

Galbraith will be desperate to kick things off positively with Stoke, especially against his former club, whilst Swansea will be keen to prove they don’t need him in the side, and get one over their former star.