Swansea City have accepted an eight-figure bid from Stoke City for midfielder Ethan Galbraith, paving the way for one of their standout players to leave after just a year.
The Northern Ireland international is due to undergo a medical in the Potteries on Tuesday, with the Swans agreeing to let the 25-year-old go.
Galbraith only joined Swansea last summer, arriving from Leyton Orient for around £1.5m after two seasons in League One.
He quickly became a key figure at the Swansea.com Stadium, equally comfortable in midfield or filling in at right-back.
The fee involved is a significant profit on what the Swans paid for him, and the deal is also understood to include potential add-ons.
The move is a blow to head coach Vitor Matos, who had made no secret of how highly he rated the player.
Galbraith scored four goals in 44 appearances last season, a number of them coming in his less favoured role on the right of defence.
The club had been keen to tie him down to a new long-term contract this summer.
But the former Manchester United youngster is understood to have made clear he was not prepared to sign fresh terms.
His existing deal still had two years to run, until 2028, with the Swans holding the option of a further year.
Rather than force him to stay against his wishes, the club has chosen to cash in while his value is high.
There is a certain irony in the destination and the timing.
Galbraith’s switch to Stoke comes just days after the release of the new fixture list, which handed the Swans an opening-day trip to the very same club on 15 August.
It means he could line up against his old side within weeks of leaving.
Back in April, Matos had spoken of his hopes that Galbraith would stay at Swansea for years to come.
He described the midfielder as a “really important player” and said he hoped he would be at the club for a decade.
Instead, Galbraith becomes the first significant departure of the summer, leaving Matos to reshape his midfield before the big kick-off.
The Swans had been tipped for a strong season, with a recent supercomputer prediction forecasting a top-half finish — though that was before news of Galbraith’s exit broke.
Attention will now turn to how Swansea reinvest the windfall before the transfer window closes.
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