Swansea City eye Barnsley star as Matt Grimes replacement | OneFootball

The Swans must act fast to replace the departed Grimes.

Barnsley's Adam Phillips is high up on Swansea City's list of targets as the Championship outfit plan to sign a central-midfielder before the deadline.

That is according to Darren Witcoop, who claims that the Swans want to sign a replacement for Matt Grimes, who departed for Frank Lampard's Coventry City.

Luke Williams' side have days to find a replacement for Grimes, with the January transfer window set to close at 11pm on February 3rd.

Swansea interested in Barnsley's Phillips

Swansea will be desperate to sign a central-midfielder before the deadline after losing Grimes, who was an influential figure at the Swansea.com Stadium for six-and-a-half years.

Phillips is the man Williams' side have their eye on, and he could be the perfect replacement for the departing Grimes as they aim to change their fortunes on the pitch.

The Barnsley man has been pivotal to the Tykes' play in League One this season and already has eight goals and five assists to his name in all competitions.

The 27-year-old joined Barnsley from Burnley in 2022 after loan spells at Accrington Stanley and Morecambe, where he made 86 appearances.

While Grimes will be a difficult man to replace, Phillips fits the bill in terms of his style of play and also offers an attacking threat.

Grimes will be a miss for Swansea

Losing Grimes to Coventry is a blow for the South Wales side. The 29-year-old was one of the club's longest serving players and was an influential figure on the pitch.

The midfielder started all of Swansea's last 88 Championship matches - a record going back to early March 2023.

Grimes amassed 333 appearances for the Swans, contributing 16 goals and 33 assists, and his leadership and presence breathed calmness into Williams' side.

Swansea have been struggling of late, losing four of the last five, which included a 3-0 hiding by arch rivals Cardiff City and heavy defeats to Portsmouth and Norwich City.

Williams must turn the Swans' fortunes around fast or risk being dragged into a relegation battle, with the club in 17th position and seven points above the drop.

Losing Grimes could be a defining moment in Swansea's season and, therefore, it is paramount that the club acquire a suitable replacement for the Coventry man.