Ethan Galbraith has been a player who really never reached his full potential at Swansea City, for a start he wasn’t at the club long enough. There are reasons and there are opinions, but on the whole when reviewed he just didn’t like the area and was determined to get a big pay day.

For our regular readers you will know how we broke the news on Galbraith coming to Swansea and the relentless work of then recruitment specialist, Adam Worth over seven months to get him to Swansea City.

Nobody can criticise anyone who has the mindset that Ethan had during the closing games of last season and thereafter. The new contract negotiations with CEO, Tom Gorringe which left him ‘very dismayed’ we are told was the start. We've referred to it before that his very solemn face and disinterest at the end of season awards spelt it out clearly. In fact we have now been told the Swans pretty much disregarded further talks as he very much wanted to leave. The question on everyone’s lips is ‘Why Stoke City’ ? A team that has hardly set the Championship alight since their relegation some eight years ago. It can’t be that Ethan didn’t see what Swans head coach, Vitor Matos way of playing and coaching was like, he witnessed that most days.

The breakdown of the deal to Stoke City, if it goes through is as follows.

The total fee with one and a half million pounds of add ons is eleven and a half million pounds. Really on that basis the Swans will bring in around two and a half million pounds a year from the ten million pounds up front sale if he is offered a four year contract. Then there is the Orient fee which we have confirmed as one and a quarter million pounds. (sources) That too is paid to them over the length of whatever contract Ethan signs. It’s fairly simple but this will help. We needed to calcúlate it in this way as well.

You don’t get paid a percentage of add ons to prevent confusion.

The only reason we can see for the choice as it stands at this time for Ethan is money. The Swans it is believed offered him twelve thousand pounds a week with bonuses but the sell on fee they wanted him to sign he felt was off putting. However, he was never going to sign any deal as it was clear before all this his mind was made up. He wanted far more than the Swans were prepared to pay. It wasn’t so much about the position that Vitor Matos wanted to play him in, although it didn’t help, Ethan saw this as a move that would financially reward him. We have to say with due respects to Stoke City because they have hardly been play off contenders for years. The move surprises us for that very reason alone.

Even if this move breaks down at the last minute Ethan Galbraith will find a home and for a lot of Swans fans that won’t bother them. The general attitude is if he doesn't want to play for the club that put him in his current position, then off you go. Many Swans players have left for pastures new with Galbraith’s attitude, some find success and some just disappear. We know quite a few who now wish they never left Swansea City. But life is about learning, and indeed making mistakes.

See you for the first league fixture of the season as it stands Ethan. You will most certainly get a viewpoint from the Swans travelling support on that day. Until then …

Photographs already licensed Reuters