Is Darling next in line for the contract extension?

The news that Ben Cabango signed a new contract made for a Merry Christmas for many Swans fans and that could be followed with a very Happy New Year should Harry Darling extend his own contract to extend his personal stay at Swansea City.

The two central defenders have been integral to the Swans this season and with both going into the current campaign knowing that their deals at the start of the season were expiring at the end of May.  With rumours abound of deadlock in contract negotiation stages there were serious worries that both could be leaving at the end of the season leaving a massive hole for Luke Williams to fill with whatever next summer’s transfer budget will look like.

We may be almost a week away from the transfer window opening but the news that Cabango had signed his new contract extension to 2028 was as good as any piece of business we may do through the month of January and now there is more than just one suggestion that Harry Darling will be following next as discussions with Cabango’s central defensive partner remain ongoing.

Indeed, some have already suggested that we are very close to the agreement of terms and it has not been ruled out that an announcement to that effect could happen before the calendars change from 2024 to 2025.   Those rumours may turn out to be unsubstantiated but should they prove to be correct then the Swans will have ended the year in a hugely strong position with Cabango’s contract it should not be forgotten was reasonably hot on the heels of an extended stay for the in form Liam Cullen.

There is little doubt that contract negotiations can proceed quicker and smoother now since the change in ownership at the club and it could be that the new owners have the ambition that can match that held by players such as Cullen, Cabango and Darling which can only be good news for Swans fans as they await the news on Darling.

Luke Williams is well aware of the impact that contract negotiations can have on a player’s performances and he said after yesterday’s game on Cabango’s extension “It’s great news, and I think it showed in his performance that he had a clear mind. He was at his very best

“He has not had a bad game this season, but there had been an edge missing because it is such a difficult moment, such a huge moment and we are so happy he has made the right decision.

“It showed on the pitch that he has that clear mind, he knows his future is committed to this club so it’s been a great couple of days.”

The Swans boss is known to be extremely keen to extend the stay of the defender who signed for the Swans under Russell Martin in the summer of 2022.   A three-year deal at that point looked a shrewd piece of business and whilst there is known interest from elsewhere the player is also well aware that, as he closes in on one hundred Swans appearances, regular football is as important to him as anything at this stage in his career.

The one thing that we can be certain of is that the future of Darling will become clear relatively quickly.   The Swans simply cannot afford to let his contract run down so will be keen to conclude negotiations very quickly and there has been very little indication that the player itself is not happy at the Swans which surely means it is down to the financials and, as we know and referenced earlier, these kind of discussions have become much easier since the departure of Kaplan and Levien who hindered the club on so many negotiations in their time here.

And with four days of the current calendar year left don’t completely rule out an announcement that we can only hope will be on the positive side – the new Swansea way maybe?