Swansea City

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales

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Matt Grimes has played in all but four of Swansea City's 305 league games since relegation from the top flight in 2018.

There can be no clearer measure of the midfielder's consistency, his technical ability and his durability than that extraordinary record.

Luke Williams, Swansea's head coach for almost 13 months, is yet to take charge of a match – in league or cup - in which Grimes has not featured.

But that statistic looks like being wiped out this Saturday when Williams' team play Coventry City, the club who have shocked Swansea by making a serious move to sign their club captain.

Whether a transfer is finalised before the weekend or not, it seems unlikely Grimes will be involved against the side who are trying to recruit him.

Coventry are only four points and five places better off than Swansea in the Championship table.

A month ago, Swansea were ninth, six places above the Sky Blues and with five more points. In other words, there has not been much between the clubs on the pitch this season.

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But finances are so often critical in football, and the understanding is that Coventry are prepared to give Grimes, who will turn 30 this summer, the sort of contract which Swansea would not go close to matching.

And that says much about what Williams and his staff are up against in the Championship, where it is not only clubs at the very top end of the division who have much more financial clout than Swansea.

Wages may not be the only factor involved in Grimes' potential move, of course. It could also be that he sees Coventry as a better bet to push for the Premier League than Swansea, who have not looked like contenders for promotion since defeat by Brentford in the Championship play-off final in 2021.

Grimes played in that game, which almost goes without saying.

He has been a stalwart since Swansea dropped out of the Premier League, a shoo-in for selection under Graham Potter, Steve Cooper, Russell Martin, Michael Duff and Williams.

Grimes' blend of qualities means that should - as appears likely - the move to Coventry materialise, he will leave a mighty hole in a Swansea squad which already has numerous issues.

The only hope for the club's fans – and for Williams – is that Swansea's hierarchy will fill some of the gaps before the transfer window closes next Monday night.

When Swansea City wrapped up 2024 with a win over Luton Town, they were four points off the play-offs.

Fast forward four weeks and Swansea are yet to win since, shipping an alarming 18 goals in the process.

Criticised for his comments around the vacant West Brom job, Luke Williams only has a last-gasp draw with the Baggies to show for his side's efforts - with a stinging 3-0 south Wales derby defeat also forming part of the poor run.

With Williams admitting he was left "embarrassed" by the 5-1 defeat at Norwich City the Swans are now 17th in the Championship table, closer to the bottom three than they are the top six.

So just what has gone wrong at Swansea City and what is to blame for the slide? Do they need more signings? Most importantly, what needs to change for Swansea to start climbing away from danger?

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Swansea City boss Luke Williams says the club need to make further signings in the January transfer window.

The Swans have now collected just a point in their past five games after a 5-1 defeat at Norwich City.

Williams confirmed the south Wales club will receive a sell-on fee after ex-Swan Morgan Whittaker moved from Plymouth Argyle to Middlesbrough for a fee of £5m plus add-ons, adding that he was "hopeful," he would be able to spend the money this month.

"I hope for more signings," he told BBC Radio Wales Sport, adding that nothing is close to being completed.

"It's becoming more and more evident to me that signings are needed," he added.

"I am involved in the recruitment decisions, we need as high a level of player as we can possibly try to get and we need to try and be very aggressive to get them here."

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Swansea City boss Luke Williams says his side need to realise they could potentially be dragged into a relegation battle.

The Swans were hammered 5-1 at Norwich City, a performance Williams said left him feeling "embarrassed."

The Swans have now collected one point from their past five matches – including a 3-0 hammering in the south Wales derby – and Williams says Swansea cannot become complacent having slipped to 17th, albeit still seven points clear of the Championship drop zone.

Williams was unhappy with Swansea's capitulation at Carrow Road and says his players need to realise where their season could be heading.

"We compound our own problems, time and time again," he said. "Everything we can do naively, we do.

"I think (having to look over shoulders) might help us to understand the gravity of what we are doing here.

"If we don't recognise that we have to be tougher and more resilient then we are going to slip into a scrap."

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Luke Williams says courage will be key for Swansea City as they bid to end their January slump at Norwich City on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

Swansea have slipped to 15th in the Championship having taken only one point from their four games this month, while they also exited the FA Cup at Southampton.

The Swans have been well beaten by three sides battling to pull clear of relegation in their past three away league games, most recently at Cardiff City last weekend.

But after a more positive midweek display against high-flying Sheffield United, when 10-man Swansea were unfortunate to come away with nothing, Williams hopes to take another step forward this weekend.

"Norwich are one of the most attractive teams to watch - they handle the ball so well, they have some really good build-up and there is a lot of swagger in the individuals within that," said the Swansea head coach.

"We have to go and show the courage to play and to try to impose ourselves.

"We have done that many times this season but we have been so inconsistent. That's our big challenge."

Norwich were beaten 2-0 at Leeds on Wednesday, the Canaries' third straight loss after last weekend's 2-0 defeat at Sheffield United and a 4-0 FA Cup thrashing by Brighton.

But 12th-placed Norwich are formidable opponents on their own patch, where they have lost only two league games since November 2023.

"They are a brilliant team in a really tough venue because they are always very well supported," Williams added.

"But we look forward to this environment. This is an atmosphere that makes everyone feel alive instantly. Then it's about making sure you don't get negatively affected by it.

"Last season we used the atmosphere to drive us on there [in a 2-2 draw] and we have to do the same again."

Wolves have rejected an opening offer from Millwall for midfielder Luke Cundle, who is also wanted by Swansea City and Bristol City. (Express and Star), external

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Harry Darling has been banned for three matches after Swansea City's appeal against his Sheffield United red card was turned down.

Darling was sent off for a heavy challenge on Rhian Brewster during the Blades' 2-1 win at Swansea on Tuesday.

Swansea felt they had a chance of getting the red card overturned, with head coach Luke Williams arguing his centre-back had attempted to play the ball.

"He doesn't make heavy contact in a dangerous way with his opponent. It's unfortunate, but there's no malice and I don't think he's out of control or reckless, so we'll see," Williams said.

Swansea's appeal has failed, however, meaning Darling will miss Saturday's trip to Norwich City as well as the home fixture with Coventry City on 1 February and the game at Bristol City eight days later.

Darling's suspension leaves Swansea with only one out-and-out central defender, Ben Cabango, although they are hoping to sign Burnley's Hannes Lacroix on loan in time for the weekend.

Swansea will seek to halt their slide down the Championship table as they head to Norwich on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

The Canaries are three places and two points above the 15th-placed Swans, with both sides having fallen away from the play-off race of late.

• Norwich City are winless across their past four league games against Swansea City (D1 L3), last enduring a longer run against the Welsh side between March 1925 and December 1936 (six games).

• Swansea City have won just two of their past 17 away league games against Norwich City (D4 L11), though are unbeaten on their last two visits to Carrow Road.

• Norwich have lost just two of their past 28 home league games (W17 D9), with the Canaries averaging 2.2 goals per game in that run.

• Swansea have lost each of their past three away league games and will be looking to avoid losing four in succession for the first time since March 2023.

• Norwich City's Josh Sargent has scored 15 goals across his last 19 Championship home games and could make his first league appearance at Carrow Road since October versus Middlesbrough.

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Harry Darling's red card in Swansea's defeat at home to Sheffield United in the Championship on Tuesday has been appealed by the Welsh club.

And the appeal gets the backing of former Wales strikers Iwan Roberts and Sam Vokes, who both disagree with referee Dean Whitestone's decision to dismiss Darling for a tackle on former Swansea loanee Rhian Brewster.

"I think the reaction of the Sheffield United players has a bearing on the referee's decision," Roberts said on the latest edition of the Feast of Football podcast on BBC Sounds.

"I know it is a little bit reckless and I know he's late but I don't think he's caught him [Brewster] that badly if I'm being totally honest, I think he was a little bit unlucky."

Wycombe Wanderers striker Vokes feels Darling's tackle warranted nothing more than a booking.

"The lad [Brewster] has made the most of it and the reaction of the players... Tyrese Campbell runs straight over to the referee and it almost starts a melee and all of a sudden he [referee Whitestone] is thinking this is worse than he thought originally," said Vokes.

"Harry Darling has gone to just clear the ball and just mistimed it and the striker is a bit sharper and got in front of him, never a red in my eyes.

"It's on the half-way line, there is nothing going on. It's a yellow and a slap on the wrists."

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Luke Williams hopes to have Harry Darling available at Norwich City on Saturday after confirming that Swansea City have appealed against the defender's dismissal against Sheffield United.

Darling was shown the first red card of his Swansea career for a foul on Rhian Brewster during Tuesday's 2-1 defeat to the Blades.

Swansea have appealed as they feel Darling's challenge was not reckless, and are waiting to discover whether referee Dean Whitestone's decision will stand.

Should the appeal be rejected, Darling will miss Norwich plus Swansea's home game against Coventry City on 1 February and the trip to Bristol City eight days later.

"We have appealed - we will wait and see what happens with that," Williams said.

"I am not overly optimistic from experience with these things, but it certainly looked like there's a case for an appeal.

"Harry makes an attempt to play the ball. He doesn't make heavy contact in a dangerous way with his opponent. It's unfortunate, but there's no malice and I don't think he's out of control or reckless, so we'll see."

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Luke Williams believes Azeem Abdulai will get a chance to prove himself in a central midfield role following his move to Leyton Orient.

Abdulai, 22, has joined the League One play-off hopefuls for an undisclosed fee, ending a three-and-a-half-year spell at Swansea.

He made 31 appearances for the Swans – though only two of those were league starts – and scored two goals.

Abdulai was used primarily in a wide role rather than his favoured central position by Williams, who says it was wrong to stand in the Scotland Under-21 international's way after Orient came calling.

"I think he will play more probably as a box-to-box midfield player there," said the Swansea head coach.

"I am sure he will do really well. There were just too many obstacles in the way for him [in that position] here.

"He did a good job in the wide positions for us but he's not exactly the perfect fit. When a player has the urge to go and a club comes in and gives him that opportunity, it's difficult to keep the player in a good place, so it was the right thing to do."

Abdulai's departure is unlikely to make a huge difference to Swansea's plans for incoming transfers during this window given that the fee involved is understood to be small and he was not one of the club's major earners.

"This is a great chance for him to further his career," Williams added.

"I think everyone is happy with that and we wish him really well."

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Luke Williams says Swansea City are considering a move for former Manchester United defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah.

Fosu-Mensah is looking for a new club having been a free agent since leaving Bayer Leverkusen.

The 27-year-old endured in an injury-hit spell in Germany, with his last appearance coming back in April 2023, and has reportedly been offered to a host of Championship clubs this month.

Fosu-Mensah has been capped at senior level by The Netherlands, but has managed only 97 club appearances in a senior career which began at Old Trafford.

The right-back or centre-back played 30 times for United, while he also had loan spells with Crystal Palace and Fulham before moving to Bayer Leverkusen in 2021.

"We are looking at that player and trying to work out where we are and where he is so we'll see," said Swansea head coach Williams.

"We are trying to find players we think can push us forward to the next level."

Williams is keen to sign three players during the mid-season transfer window, but Swansea have so far failed to get a deal over the line.