The 25-year-old former MK Dons centre back, whose current deal expires this summer, is a transfer target for several other clubs, with newly-promoted Wrexham and Birmingham City heavily linked in the last week.
Darling has impressed this season for the Swans, forming a rock-solid partnership with club captain Ben Cabango that kept 14 clean sheets this season, and would be a major loss to head coach Alan Sheehan’s rebuilding plans.
In a statement confirming their retained list for next season, the Swans have also confirmed the departure of several first-team and development players.
Experienced veterans Joe Allen and Kyle Naughton confirmed their departures prior to the final game of the season’s 3-3 draw against Oxford United, whilst Cyrus Christie, Kristian Pedersen, and Jon McLaughlin were confirmed departures in Sheehan’s post-match press conference when their contracts expire this summer.
Youngsters Maliq Cadogan, Richard Faakye, Sammy Henia-Kamau, Ben Hughes, Aidan Higgins, Kiel Higginson, Sam Seager, and Osian Williams will all leave the Swans this summer.
On-loan trio Lewis O’Brien, Hannes Delcroix and Myles Peart-Harris have all returned to their parent clubs following the conclusion of their respective loan spells. The Swans have shown interest in O’Brien, but with significant competition, it looks highly likely the Nottingham Forest midfielder will not be returning to South Wales next season.
One player likely to be on the way to SA1 is Kilmarnock striker Bobby Wales, with the 19-year-old understood to be signing on expiry of his contract at Rugby Park.
The Swans, however, will have to pay compensation for the highly-regarded Scotland under-19 international who will play his final game for the club he joined at academy level this weekend against Hearts in the Scottish Premier League.
Earlier this month Wales was named Kilmarnock’s Young Player of the Year for the 2024-25 season and is likely to become Swansea’s third signing of the window following deals for Swedish duo Zeidane Inoussa and Melker Widell.
[Lead image: Swansea City FC]
