"There are certainly worries" - Swansea City: Harry Darling transfer concern raised | OneFootball

FLW's Swansea City fan pundit has given his verdict on Harry Darling's contract situation

Swansea City face a major decision with Harry Darling going into the January transfer window.

Darling has been with the Championship side since making the switch from MK Dons in 2022.

The defender has been a key figure in this time, making 69 appearances across his first two full campaigns with the club.

He has started all 17 league fixtures this season as well, even contributing one goal and one assist for Luke Williams’ side.

However, his contract is set to expire in the summer, meaning he could walk away for nothing in 2025 if an extension cannot be agreed.

Harry Darling contract situation verdict

When asked about the situation surrounding Darling’s contract, FLW’s Swansea fan pundit James Fleming emphasised how important he is to the team.

He believes that the changes behind the scenes might help see some movement in the right direction, as tying him down to a new contract will be necessary to keep one of the side’s best players.

“I think with Harry Darling obviously there’s always a feeling that you’re going to lose your big players, especially with [Ben] Cabango as well in the same situation,” Fleming told Football League World.

“They’ve been our two best players this season, they’ve been excellent, especially Darling, he’s really come into his own this season so far, and is the last person you want to lose going into next season.

“I think they definitely are making progress in there with Andy Coleman on board.

“We should see, hopefully, a deal on the table in the coming weeks.

“At the same time, you’ve got to keep in mind, if they don’t sign a deal after January, you might run the risk of losing them for free in the summer.

“So I hope we don’t sell him because we really do need him in order to keep building what we’ve got.

“I think we need for once, for the first season in a long time, to keep all our best players and build a team that’s ready to compete in the top half, in the top six for next season.

“So I really hope that he does sign a new contract, but there are certainly worries not just with me but with the whole fanbase that he might not in the coming weeks.”

Harry Darling’s importance to Swansea

Darling has been a regular presence in the side ever since making the switch to Swansea in 2022.

He made 31 league appearances in his first year at the club, helping them seal a 10th place finish under Russell Martin.

That led to him playing 38 times last year, with the team dropping to 14th after Martin’s departure to Southampton.

Swansea will now be targeting a top half finish under Williams, with Darling growing in importance even more in the last 12 months by cementing himself as one of the first names on the team sheet.

Losing Darling for nothing would be a real waste

The new owners at Swansea should be immediately prioritising tying down key players to new contracts, with Darling the obvious first place to start.

The centre-back has been excellent this season, and will surely have no shortage of new clubs looking to snap him up as a free agent.

It is imperative that Swansea do whatever they can to convince him to stay, as losing someone of that quality for nothing is a real waste of resources.

It will be extremely difficult to replace someone of his quality with a like-for-like talent without spending a significant sum, which the new owners will surely want to avoid for the time being.