Don Goodman says he did not expect Swansea City to cash in on Galbraith, nor Stoke City to win the race for the midfielder, after the Potters completed a deal worth around £10 million.
“I saw the £10 million figure being floated around, but clearly it’s a significant sum of money,” Goodman said, speaking on behalf of talkSPORT Bet.
“I was surprised on two fronts. Firstly, I’m surprised Swansea were prepared to sell him. You’d expect them to show a bit of ambition this season, especially with a new manager who did very, very well. Maybe the figure was just too good to turn down — that’s certainly what it looks like.”
Goodman also questioned how Stoke were able to secure the deal.
“With all due respect to Stoke, they haven’t had a top‑half finish in the eight seasons they’ve spent in the Championship since being relegated from the Premier League. They haven’t even cracked the top half once, which is a staggering statistic.
“So I was surprised they were able to attract him, because I’m sure he would have had plenty of other suitors.”
However, Goodman believes the transfer underlines Stoke’s intent.
“Stoke are showing real ambition. I think they’ve probably done more business in this window than any other team, so there is clearly a massive desire to push upwards. I rate Galbraith really highly — he’s composed, excellent on the ball, can play multiple positions and reads the game well. Stoke have landed a cracking player.”
Goodman says injuries derailed Stoke last season, but their recruitment drive shows lessons have been learned.
“They had a horrific injury crisis and the squad depth just wasn’t there. They fell quickly into the bottom half. They’ve clearly recognised that, and this signing highlights their ambition to do much better next season.”
Idah must ‘show up and deliver’ after disappointing first Swansea City season
Goodman also believes Idah faces a crucial campaign after struggling to establish himself during his first season at the Swansea.com Stadium.
“As things stand, I don’t think anybody could dispute that Celtic got the better end of the deal,” he said.
“It was a big‑money move, yet he couldn’t find a regular starting spot at Swansea, which will be really disappointing for him.”
Idah scored six goals but made most of his appearances from the bench.
“He’s coming into his absolute prime now and he needs to kick on. This is a massive season for him — we’re going to see what he’s truly made of.
“When you’re a big‑money signing who can hardly buy a start, that’s a real test of your mentality. Most of his appearances were off the bench. He had a little spell where he scored a couple, but he just wasn’t starting matches.”
Goodman says the lack of starts should serve as a warning.
“When a head coach watches you every day in training and still isn’t picking you, those are alarm bells. It’s a kick up the backside.
“If he wants to kick on in his career, this is a huge year where he simply needs to show up and deliver.”
[Lead image: Swansea City FC]
Related Swansea City stories
Latest Swansea City news
All the latest updates, match reports and features from the Swans.
Transfer news
Follow every rumour, deal and move involving Swansea City.
EFL Championship coverage
League-wide news, analysis and stories including Swansea City.
