Southampton set to secure Swansea City transfer agreement | OneFootball

Nathan Wood is closing in on a Premier League switch

Swansea City are set to lose their highly-rated defender Nathan Wood to Russell Martin's Southampton in an imminent summer switch.

The Saints Head Coach is all too familiar with Wood, having initially brought the player to South Wales in a deal from Championship rivals Middlesbrough in 2022 during his polarising two-year reign in Swansea's dugout.

Wood, a left-footed ball-playing central defender, unsurprisingly caught the eye in Martin's patient and possession-based style of play and earned Premier League interest after an impressive individual campaign in his first year with the club.

Injuries were a mitigating factor for Wood last time out, who spent three months on the sidelines between September and December as Swansea eventually finished in 14th position under Luke Williams.

There may well be some love lost between the duo given that Williams acted as Martin's assistant at Swansea before departing for then-National League outfit Notts County, whom he guided to promotion in 2023.

Swansea City's Nathan Wood set to sign for Southampton.

This is according to journalist Pete O'Rourke, who has claimed via X that talks are ongoing ahead of a medical at Southampton.

There is no mention of a fee just yet, although Swansea should be in line to receive a fairly handsome figure from the newly-promoted Premier League outfit, who now possess a top-flight transfer kitty and are believed to have made two offers up to £10m on Martin's request last summer.

Wood is reported to have been attracted by a switch to Southampton last summer, when they were in the Championship, so it's little wonder that he's now soon to be unveiled as their first signing after returning to the Premier League via the play-offs in May.

There won't be much shock on Williams' end either, with the ex-Magpies Head Coach admitting to BBC Sport Wales at the end of last season: "There’s an obvious conclusion to be drawn there, that this might be the correct moment (to sell) because it makes sense all round maybe.

"We are not going to be advertising that there is a sale on, half-price, come and get him because he is an unreal player - we love him to pieces.

"But the situation that presents itself (means) it’s plausible that (a transfer) will happen."

The situation that Williams had alluded to was that of Wood's contract, which was set to expire this summer before the club activated their one-year extension.

While Swansea won't be losing Wood for nothing, they have little bargaining power given that his deal is up next year although his age and profile should still see them net a fair fee after paying Boro just £400,000 two years prior.

Nathan Wood's Southampton transfer will be a real loss for Swansea City

The inevitable exit will surely hurt Williams greatly given that Wood has all the intuitive footballing tools to perform his intense tactical principles of controlling the flow of the game and building play out from the back.

Being left-footed enables Wood to do this to great effect, and players of his mold - at 22 no less - are often precious commodities within the domestic transfer market.