SWANS: Swansea reject Hull City bid for top scorer Vipotnik

Swansea City have rejected an offer from Premier League newcomers Hull City, with the club’s valuation of last season’s Championship top scorer understood not to have been met.

The Tigers are interested in signing the 24-year-old former Bordeaux frontman but have yet to reach anywhere near the Swans’ valuation for the Slovenian international.

Vipotnik, who previously played under Hull boss Sergej Jakirovic at Slovenian side Maribor, scored 23 league goals for Vitor Matos‘ side in his second season in south Wales.

The Swans striker’s future has been the subject of speculation for much of the summer already, although this appears to be the first time Swansea’s resolve has been tested.

He is currently under contract until 2030 at Swansea, having signed a new deal in March, but his future has come under scrutiny this week following the club’s capture of ex-Southampton and Sunderland striker Ross Stewart.

Boss Matos, however, has insisted the Scot’s arrival hasn’t had any bearing on his star forward’s future.

“We signed Ross because we believe it was an opportunity for us to catch a player with that right type of profile,” said Matos after Stewart’s arrival.

“It’s nothing related to him [Vipotnik] leaving or not. It’s just what was a [good] opportunity.

“He brings leadership in a position where we needed experience of the league. He offers the same spontaneity in terms of the penalty box that Vipi [Vipotnik] has.

“He [Stewart] offers the same physicality that Adam [Idah] can offer as well. So I think it’s a good combination with what we have at the moment.”

Stewart joined on a free after his Southampton contract expired at the end of June, and was the sixth signing of a busy summer that also brought in Moussa Yeo, Elijah Just, Joseph Opoku and Benfica left-back Tiago Parente.

Vipotnik missed three pre-season friendlies with a quad problem before returning from the bench in the 1-0 win over Leganes that closed the summer programme.

Any sale would leave Matos with Stewart, Adam Idah and Opoku competing for the central roles.

The club has other business to attend to. Swansea were already in the market for a centre-back before Cameron Burgess suffered a suspected Achilles injury in Saturday’s Carabao Cup defeat to Birmingham City, with the head coach saying the club would reassess its plans once the diagnosis was confirmed.

Swansea begin their Championship season at Stoke City on Saturday, with the transfer window open until 1 September.