Swansea City, Cardiff City, Reading FC and Rotherham United plot Liverpool transfer raid | OneFootball

Swansea City are joined by several League One clubs, as well as Aberdeen, in the hunt to sign Liverpool youngster Luca Stephenson on loan.

With the League One season already underway, the likes of Cardiff City, Reading and Rotherham United are continuing with their summer transfer window business, as they and Swansea City chase Liverpool midfielder Luca Stephenson.

On the opening day of the 2025/26 League One campaign, both Cardiff and Rotherham earned themselves 2-1 victories at home; defeating Peterborough United and Port Vale respectively. Reading, on the other hand, suffered a 2-0 defeat to Lincoln City at Sincil Bank.

All three of those sides will be expected to challenge for at least the top six and the play-off places in the third-tier this season, but their transfer windows have been reasonably slow thus far, and there remains a fair bit of business to do in the final few weeks.

Swansea City, on the other hand, are yet to get the Championship campaign underway, with former caretaker boss Alan Sheehan given the job on a permanent basis to try and continue their push up and away from the bottom-half of the table.

The Jacks are looking to do some late business before the start of the window, but they face a fair bit of competition in their push to try and sign Stephenson this summer.

Swansea and Cardiff among those interested in Luca Stephenson

According to the Liverpool Echo, Liverpool are seeking to send a few more of their youngsters out on loan in the next few weeks after Isaac Mabaya joined Wigan Athletic on a temporary basis last week.

21-year-old Luca Stephenson is said to be one of the most prominent youngsters set to be shipped out by the Reds this summer, after he played a part in their pre-season tour to Asia recently.

It has been reported that should Stephenson indeed head out on loan, Liverpool will extend his contract at Anfield to protect themselves against a potential rise in his value.

The report explains that Swansea hold an interest in the midfielder, alongside Cardiff, Reading and Rotherham, whilst Aberdeen of the Scottish Premiership, and a side guaranteed to be playing in the league phase of UEFA competition this season, are considering a permanent move for Stephenson.

Stephenson is yet to make his first-team debut for Liverpool, having spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Barrow before spending last season on loan with Dundee United, whereby he was named Young Player of the Year.

Swansea, Cardiff, Reading & Rotherham with work to do

So far this summer, Swansea have made a few additions this summer with the purchases of Zeidane Inoussa, Bobby Wales and Ethan Galbraith from Hacken, Kilmarnock and Leyton Orient respectively.

As well as that, they have also brought in centre-backs Ricardo Santos and Cameron Burgess on free transfers from Bolton Wanderers and Ipswich Town.

Cardiff, on the other hand, are yet to have a made a single signing so far after their relegation from the second-tier last year, amid talk of a potential takeover this summer, too.

Reading, in their first summer after the departure of Dai Yongge, recently bought Paddy Lane from Portsmouth after a plethora of free agent arrivals and loan signings, such as Paudie O’Connor, Jack Stevens, Matty Jacob, Mark O’Mahony, Finley Burns, Daniel Kyerewaa and Liam Fraser.

Rotherham had been generally quiet in the window with Kian Spence, Ted Cann and Lenny Agbaire joined by the end of July, but they have since had a major recruitment drive.