It surely won't just be Sheffield United in Swansea City transfer race - He could be a bargain for £0 | OneFootball

Harry Darling is set to have multiple suitors in the summer if he leaves the Swans at the end of his contract

Swansea City centre-back Harry Darling is out of contract in the summer, and with an extension looking unlikely following interest from promotion-chasing Sheffield United in the January window, numerous clubs across the second-tier are bound to be after his signature ahead of next season.

Darling began his footballing career with hometown club Cambridge United, and worked his way up their youth ranks to make his professional debut in 2016 at just 17 years of age.

He soon became a regular for the U's in League Two amid numerous non-league spells, then made the step-up to League One with MK Dons in January 2021 and was an immediate success in Buckinghamshire as he was named in both the EFL League One Team of the Season and PFA Team of the Year for 2021/22.

That standout form saw the Swans move to sign him in the summer of 2022 on a three-year deal, and he has been a key man at the back for the club under numerous managers over the last two-and-a-half seasons, but now looks set to move on in June when his contract expires.

Darling is a solid centre-back at Championship level, and he possesses great passing abilities, both short and long-range, as well as a knack for scoring goals. He is surely set to be of interest to a whole host of EFL clubs this summer, with Sheffield United already claimed to have him on their list of targets.

Harry Darling has been a top centre-back for Swansea over the last few years

Darling seamlessly slotted into the Swans' backline upon his arrival at the start of the 2022/23 campaign, as he netted a great strike on his debut to give his new club a point away at Rotherham United.

He did, though, struggle for consistent game-time throughout the season under Russell Martin, who had managed him at MK Dons, but still went on to make 32 more appearances with four goals in his first term.

Darling soon admitted that his first season in the second-tier had been "a big learning curve," and it was clear that he had taken a lot from those 12 months in his second campaign in South Wales.

The Cambridge-born centre-back was a key man under both Michael Duff and Luke Williams last season, and he stepped up at both ends in numerous big games to help his side over the line and avoid a surprise relegation. They finished the campaign well with three wins in the final five games, and he was linked with a move to Bristol City over the summer, but did not leave the Swans.

This season has arguably been his most impactful yet, as he has been a near ever-present in the Championship under Williams until his sacking, with just three games missed through injury so far. Darling has two goals and three assists in 31 league appearances up to now, but could now be nearing the end of his time at the Swansea.com Stadium with his contract set to expire.

Harry Darling's contract situation means an exit is likely with Sheffield United circling

Darling may well have been a regular for the Swans over the last few years, but he now looks set to leave in the summer, with a lack of contract talks giving the feeling that he sees his future lying elsewhere ahead of next season.

The 25-year-old was linked with a move to the Blades last month by The Star, with Chris Wilder wanting to add to his depth at centre-back following Harry Souttar's injury, but Rob Holding instead joined on loan from Crystal Palace, and so Darling has remained in South Wales until the end of this term.

He had previously been linked to United back in 2022 prior to his Swansea move, and three years on, he has only proven himself even further to be a more-than-capable Championship defender who has the potential to play in the Premier League at some point in his career.

The last update around his current Swans deal came at the start of January, with WalesOnline reporting that they were set to shelve any talks until the summer so he could focus on his football from then until May. That same report also claimed that the club had been trying to persuade him to put pen to paper on a long-term extension, but to no avail.

Both Swansea supporters and whoever replaces Williams in the dugout will no doubt rue the impending exit of one of their key men, and he is certainly not set to be short of suitors this summer if he does decide not to extend his stay in South Wales.

Clubs across the Championship, much like Sheffield United, have likely already sounded him out as a potential summer acquisition, and his destination is certainly one to keep an eye on once the season is over.