Swansea City

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Iwan Roberts believes Snoop Dogg's investment into Swansea City "can only be a good thing" for the Championship side.

Days after the rapper helped to unveil the club's 2025-26 home shirt, the Swans announced the 53-year-old had become a co-owner and investor.

And former Wales striker Roberts says the multi-platinum selling artist can help to raise the profile of the Swans as they bid to generate more income.

"The difference between him and some of the other famous people who have invested into football, I think he's a big fan of the game," Roberts told BBC Radio Cymru Dros Brecwast.

"From what I understand, he has a relationship with Swansea's owners.

"He has been looking at investing in a club, he likes the Swansea story and how they rose up the divisions. OK they're in the Championship these days.

"A few months ago Luka Modric invested, but you look at the followers these famous people have, they have millions of followers on social media sites. He's got more than 88m on Instagram and more than 20m on X.

"That's going to persuade the people who follow him to maybe support Swansea and bring some new followers through the gates at the Swansea.com Stadium. Maybe he'll do a concert there!"

He added: "LeBron James, he's invested in Liverpool. Tom Brady, he's part of the consortium that bought Birmingham and they secured promotion alongside Wrexham.

"You look at the sponsorship deals people like this can bring into the club, you gave a great example with how things have gone at Wrexham and all of the money they're bringing in after the work Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have done.

"It can only be a good thing for Swansea in my opinion."

It comes during what has already been a busy summer for Swansea - who are preparing for a first full season under the leadership of head coach Alan Sheehan.

They have already made five first-team signings this summer, and Roberts feels the Swansea faithful will be happy with the club's business so far.

"They've brought a few in," added Roberts.

"They've lost a few, Harry Darling has joined Norwich and Joe Allen has retired of course.

"But I'm sure the work the club have done in recent weeks, the fans will be reasonably happy with where they are at the moment and I'm sure there'll be more to come."

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales

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Jerry Yates looks set to leave Swansea City once more this summer but no deal is close yet despite interest in the striker from rival clubs.

Yates is on the radar for a handful of sides with the 28-year-old seemingly surplus to requirements at Swansea after he was left out of their pre-season training camp in Spain.

Yates has been linked with a return to League One Blackpool, the club he left to join Swansea in a deal worth about £3m in 2023, with Seasiders boss Steve Bruce interested in the forward.

But despite mounting speculation about Yates' potential move back to Bloomfield Road, there is little sign yet of any move being finalised.

Swansea are looking for a fee for Yates, though there is an acceptance they will not get anywhere close to recouping the money they paid for him two years ago.

Yates scored nine goals in 46 appearances – only 24 of which were league starts – during his one season playing for Swansea.

He spent 2024-25 on loan with Derby County, where he scored 10 times – and was a first-team regular – to help the Rams avoid relegation to League One.

Yates is under contract at Swansea until 2026, though the Welsh club have the option to extend the deal by a further 12 months.

Like Yates, Josh Ginnelly was omitted from Swansea's Spanish trip having struggled to make an impact after returning from a long-term injury midway through last season.

The 28-year-old winger has also attracted some transfer interest but, as with Yates, no deal is close to being completed.

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Swansea City Women are in discussions with Lauren Davies (pictured) over the possibility of a new contract, but former Wales international Nia Jones is among seven players leaving the club.

Swansea have revealed their retained list going into the 2025-26 campaign, with 17 members of last season's squad to stay on with the club.

Defender Jones, 33, who is also a Wales netball international, departs Swansea having signed last summer.

Charlie Haynes, Rachel Cullen, Jasmine Guymer, Sophie Brisland-Hancocks and Robyn Pinder have also left the Adran Premier side.

A club statement read: "Swansea City Women wishes all departing players the best in their future careers."

Swansea City Women retained list: Chloe Chivers, Steph Turner, Aimee Deacon, Lucy Finch, Katy Hosford, Stacey John, Sammy Wynne, Madison Murray, Emily Thomas, Jessica Williams, Emily Richards, Taite Trivett, Maisie Miller, Caitlin Williams, Verity Jones, Opal Rayner, Megan Clarke.

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Swansea City youngster Ben Lloyd is currently training with Newport County with a view to securing a season-long loan move away from his boyhood club.

The midfielder recently spent time training with League Two side Cheltenham Town but is now with David Hughes' Exiles at Rodney Parade as Swansea's senior players undergo their pre-season schedule in Spain.

Lloyd, 20, made his senior Swans debut in a 3-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers on 26 December last year and also featured in the final day 3-3 draw with Oxford United.

Kyrell Wilson is currently on trial with Salford City and is also expected to spend the duration of the 2025-26 season out on loan in the English Football League.

The forward is yet to feature for Swansea's first team but made 15 appearances in the National League with Yeovil Town last season.

He was on the scoresheet in Salford's 5-3 pre-season victory over Warrington Rylands on Tuesday night.

Elsewhere, Nathan Broome remains with League One side Bolton Wanderers.

The Trotters are admirers of the goalkeeper and are expected to make a decision on a potential move for the 23-year-old in the coming days.

Image source, Swansea City FC

Swansea City's new home shirt features touches from the shirt the team wore during the 1996-97 season.

That season under player-manager Jan Molby, the former Liverpool, Ajax and Denmark midfielder, Swansea reached the Third Division play-off final, losing to Northampton.

This season's kit features a similar checkered motif to the one from 29 years ago and features prominently on the collar and trim.

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Alan Sheehan's team began their pre-season campaign with a comfortable 5-0 against National League North side Kidderminster Harriers.

In a behind-closed-doors game, Gonçalo Franco scored twice while Ronald, Eom Ji-Sung and new signing Zeidane Inoussa were also on target.

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Swansea City academy product Ben Lloyd is likely to leave the club on loan in 2025-26.

Attacking midfielder Lloyd made his senior debut as a late substitute in the win over Queens Park Rangers last December and also came off the bench as Swansea drew with Oxford United on the final day of last season.

The Swansea hierarchy believe the 20-year-old now needs to head out on loan in order to play regular football in the English Football League.

It is still to be decided where Lloyd will go, though he has had a spell training at Cheltenham Town during pre-season and has also spent time at another unnamed club.

Swansea hope local lad Lloyd, who has long been regarded as one of their brighter prospects, will develop as a player during a loan stint elsewhere.

Fellow academy products Cameron Congreve and Joel Cotterill are both back training with Alan Sheehan's squad, who head to Spain for a pre-season training camp next week, after playing regular senior football while out on loan in 2024-25.

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Swansea City's EFL Cup first-round tie against Crawley Town will be played on Tuesday, 12 August (19:00 BST).

Crawley's visit will be Swansea's first home game of 2025-26, with Alan Sheehan's team travelling to Middlesbrough three days earlier for their opening Championship fixture of the new season.

Swansea's first home league game is against Sheffield United on Saturday, 16 August.

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Swansea City will begin their 2025-26 Championship campaign in front of the television cameras when they host Middlesbrough on Saturday, 9 August.

Despite being selected to be shown on Sky Sports+, that fixture remains a 15:00 BST kick-off.

However, three further league games selected for tv coverage will all now start earlier at 12:30 BST - the home fixtures against Watford on Saturday, 23 August and Millwall on Saturday, 27 September, plus the game at Birmingham City on Saturday, 20 September.

Further earlier kick-off alterations are the Severnside derby games against Bristol City at Ashton Gate on Saturday, 22 November and at the Swansea.com Stadium on Saturday, 21 February.

Both fixtures have been moved to 12:30 GMT starts following safety requests from both clubs.

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Former Swansea City midfielder Darren Pratley, the scorer of one of the most memorable goals in the club's history, has announced his retirement at the age of 40.

Pratley made 199 appearances and scored 31 goals during five years at Swansea, helping the club win the League One title in 2007-08 and then promotion to the Premier League in 2010-11.

Brendan Rodgers' Swansea side climbed into the top flight via the Championship play-offs.

Pratley's finest moment in the Swansea shirt came in the semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest, when he scored from the halfway line to put an end Forest's hopes and ensure Rodgers' men were going to Wembley.

With his contract up, Pratley opted to leave Swansea for Bolton that summer and went on to play for Wanderers for seven years.

A Fulham product who had loan spells at Brentford before moving to Wales, Pratley moved to Charlton after leaving Bolton in 2018 and has spent the last four years of his career at Leyton Orient.

Pratley, who made more than 700 senior appearances, will now take up a coaching role with Orient's under-21 side.

"I have enjoyed a great playing career – I would love to live it all over again – but having spoken with my family I believe that now is the right time to start the next stage of my career," Pratley told the Orient website.

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Melker Widell and Zeidane Inoussa were among the players who reported to Swansea City's training base on Monday as Alan Sheehan's squad began preparations for the new Championship season.

Swedish duo Widell (below) and Inoussa (above) were joined at Fairwood, Swansea's training ground, by fellow new recruits Ricardo Santos and Bobby Wales.

But centre-back Cameron Burgess, who joined from Ipswich Town earlier this month, has been given extra time off because he has been in international action with Australia over the summer.

Burgess is set to arrive at Swansea at the end of the week alongside Wales trio Ollie Cooper, Liam Cullen and captain Ben Cabango, who are also returning to club duty a little late because of international commitments.

As well as the new signings, there are some familiar faces who are back with the Swansea squad after loan spells away last season.

Among those is striker Jerry Yates, who spent the last campaign at Derby County, as well as the likes of goalkeeper Andy Fisher and attacking midfielders Cameron Congreve and Joel Cotterill.

Swansea begin the new second-tier season with a trip to Middlesbrough on Saturday, 3 August.

Their first official pre-season friendly will be against League One Stevenage in Spain on Saturday, 19 July.

Image source, Swansea City AFC

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Swansea City will host League Two Crawley Town in the first round of the EFL Cup, with the tie to be played in the week beginning 11 August.

The two clubs have met only once before, when Garry Monk scored a last-minute goal to give the then Premier League Swans a League Cup victory at Crawley in September 2012.

Five months later, Swansea thumped Bradford City at Wembley to win the EFL Cup - the only major trophy in the club's history.

Alan Sheehan's side will hope for another triumph over Crawley in what will be their opening home game of 2025-26, with Swansea heading to Middlesbrough for their first Championship fixture of the new campaign on Saturday, 9 August.

Crawley will play in the fourth tier next season having been relegated from League One in 2024-25.

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Swansea City will start the 2025-26 Championship season away to Middlesbrough on Saturday, 9 August.

It will be the second successive season which Swansea have opened up with a trip to Riverside, with last year's long trip north ending in a 1-0 defeat.

The first home league match for Alan Sheehan's side in 2025-26 will take place on Saturday, 16 August against Sheffield United, who missed out on promotion in the play-offs last season.

The Swans will host Welsh rivals Wrexham on Saturday, 20 December in what will be the first league match between the two clubs in 22 years, while the return fixture in north Wales will take place on Saturday, 14 March, 2026.

Swansea fans will be on the road over the Christmas period with a trip to Coventry City on 26 December and then a game at Oxford United three days later.

The Swans will end the league campaign on Saturday, 2 May at home to Charlton Athletic, who are managed by Welshman Nathan Jones.

• Follow this link for Swansea City's full 2025-26 fixture list.

*Dates and kick-off times will be subject to change.

Your club will soon discover their schedule for the upcoming EFL season. As soon as Thursday, in fact.

Want to know who your side will face on opening day? The EFL fixtures will be announced at 12:00 BST - but that's not all.

The day will be rounded off by the first round of Carabao Cup being drawn at 16:30 BST.

So check back on 26 June to see who your team faces first, last and everything in between.