The Swansea City recruitment team have done sterling work this summer bringing in eleven players to date - with a question mark over Manuel Benson who has agreed loan terms and signed from Burnley. That seems to be a paperwork issue which is still being reviewed by the EFL (English Football League)
On Benson, he and his club have agreed terms and he has out one to paper but there is what we are being told is a ‘leagal’ review of the paperwork from both clubs. This could well mean further delays today.
There have been eleven signings since the window opened plus Melker Widell who was purchased in January and then loaned back to AAB. Below is a list of those signings with fees which we have researched through contacts and sources.
⚽️ Swansea City – New Signings (with Fees/Details)
• Zeidane Inoussa – Left Winger – £5m
• Ethan Galbraith – Central Midfield – £1.5m
• Bobby Wales – Centre-Forward – £300k (Compensation)
• Cameron Burgess – Centre-Back – Free Transfer
• Ricardo Santos – Centre-Back – Free Transfer
• Paul Farman – Goalkeeper – Free Transfer
• Adam Idah – Centre-Forward – £7m (+ £1m add-ons)
• Marko Stamenic – Central Midfield – £2.2m
• Malick Yalcouyé – Central Midfield – Loan
• Kaelan Casey – Centre-Back – Loan
• Ishé Samuels-Smith – Left-Back – Loan
First we have to look at how the Swans approach business in these transfer situations. This list contains a total value of around £15.5M. Melker Widell was £3.5M bringing expenditure to £19M. We have excluded Lewis O’Brien and are just dealing with players at the club today.
The Swans have a specific structure of recruitment. Any player that Sporting Director, Richard Montague enters into dialogue with has been sourced and delivered to him by a three man recruitment effort. His role is then to get these deals over the line. In all cases where there is a signing on fee for free transfers he will also negotiate that figure plus salaries. In the case of permanent signings it is pretty much the same with the Swans signing players on far lower wages at their former club - and delivering what they would see as an extremely attractive financial package. Franco and Ronald are prime examples of this strategy on less than seven thousand pounds a week.
⚽️ So where is the money coming from ?
Quite simply players signed by the Swans are not paid up front. This has been the case for all clubs for many years. That’s a factor many fans seem to miss. All of the permanent signings will come with an agreed down payment and then staggered payments over the term of their contract. Take Inoussa as an example. We understand that a down payment of two million pounds was made and then three million over five years. However, that’s not conclusive as he has to reach a number of personal achievements like appearances, goals, international appearances, the Swans end of season position, and so many other milestones that can be at the discretion of both clubs involved in discussions. That’s Richard Montague’s field. So we have been informed a basic down payment of two million pounds covers this transfer.
The same applies to Ethan Galbraith, around eight hundred thousand pounds, Marko Stamenic, one million, Melker Widell, two million and Adam Idah around two and a half million pounds. That’s a permanent signings total of around eight million pounds. Not the full total of nineteen million. Agents fees are now paid over the term of their players contract, again in the case of Inoussa, five years. This protects the Swans profit and sustainability situation for the returns for this season which will be declared in 2027. To do this ‘projected investment’ and deals yet to be declared - which we hear are coming this year could easily cover this amount. The links with Snoop Dogg alone could be extremely beneficial commercially.
Loans in are usually centred around a fee plus payment or part payment of the players salary at their parent club. Free transfers will come with a basic signing on fee. Goalkeeper Paul Farman will be in the low thousands but Cameron Burgess who had a medical whilst on holiday, a whole lot more. Half a million pounds wouldn't be unusual. So these fees add to the nineteen million pounds.
On loans, Kaelan Casey, Malick and Samuels-Smith will come with a full or part payment of their salary and in these three cases potentially a loan fee. Casey will be very low, Malick and Samuels-Smith a whole lot more. More to be added to the expenditure total. The Swans have worked extremely hard on commercial revenue since Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen took responsibility of Swansea City overall. That we will see reflected in 2027, and of course for the last year end in 2026. Their majority ownership stretching over last year and now this leading into 2026.
It has been a big outlay but the Swans did have money in the bank to sign out of contract Harry Darling and Lewis O’Brien, signing on fees and salary amounts were huge. Some of this would have depended on the transfer money out earned from Matt Grimes (remember only part paid) freeing up his salary (£18,500 a week) plus the salaries paid out on Lewis ‘Brien (est £27k a week) and saved on Harry Darling (£8k a week) There have been a number of players released which adds to the coffers. What we do know is that this years ‘money out’ spreadsheet has been carefully calculated to fit within the clubs profit and sustainability profile.
We won’t see repetitions of those clubs fined, deducted points or whatever at Swansea City.
Later we will cover the outgoings and impact which is a very long list. We hope,you enjoyed our latest article on Swansea City and thanks for your support.