All Swansea City fans are asking the same questions when it comes to new contracts to some key figures within the squad, especially now with September almost half way through. We are aware of an update on three players, Liam Cullen, Harry Darling and Ben Cabango.
As many of our readers know we talk in general to agents connected to players or agencies regards their opinions on certain circumstances. Now and again we are lucky enough to get feedback that as often as we report it, that in time becomes confirmed news. The best way to confidentially talk about players is with those employed within the industry and who can offer an opinion. And we always agree on protecting our sources. At no point will they ever be disclosed, not even in a legal forum. That’s our journalistic right. And of course our close supporters, and that includes a wide variety of journalists who can be quite open as they know our policy on disclosure will never change.
This week we have managed to get some information from the club, and in relation to these three players. Chairman, Andrew Coleman is determined to get Ben Cabango and Harry Darling on new contracts. He is fully aware that come January both players will be in a position to negotiate their own futures, and potentially agree contracts elsewhere. The first question we were keen to ask was ‘Are Cabango and Darling running down their contracts ?’ The general opinion is they can get far bigger contracts elsewhere, and in Darling’s case he could easily move to a club in the higher echelons of the Championship, possibly to the Premier League. He has no ties as such with Swansea City and at twenty five he wants stability.
He is in a relationship, Harry and his partner, Sophia had a new addition to the family with the birth of Gigi on St David’s day this year. That brings a new focus for any father. Around that time Sophia resigned from their real estate business, and Harry continued as company director of the new midlands based project. We won’t go any further into his business details, but he also has another interest with ex Cambridge United academy player, Matt Foy. Darling and Foy have been friends for years. Both of these extra curricular activities for Harry will mean he isn’t relying on his football to provide any monetary future. What it also displays is that Harry Darling and his agent are not going to accept the basic contracts currently being offered by Swansea.
That’s the problem. It can change of course, but Harry Darling will not be signing for the Swans on a new deal on the terms he was offered in the summer. The next question is ‘Has that changed recently ?’ The only answer we have to that is he has discussed matters with the Swans very recently. What must be made clear is that the salary reported he is on at Swansea couldn’t be further from the truth. He is on far lower than that. That’s what we know from our inquiries this week. However, time is running out, in around fourteen weeks he can decide his own destiny, and of course secure a massive financial boost with a signing on fee. On the Bristol City link we do know that Harry Darling didn’t have his head turned by that particular club. The brief we hear is ‘Why on earth would he go there, Harry wants to not only improve his income but play at a club (if he left) with far more promise than Bristol City’
That does make sense to us. You watch him move there in January !
Ben Cabango is in a far different category to Harry Darling. He has been at the club for years and is a success story for the Swans academy. Signing for the Swans as a youth when aged fourteen, all he has known is the Swans. He has played at four international levels whilst a Swansea player and has collected to date nine full caps. The funniest ‘laugh out loud’ stat we saw recently was a well known but wholly inaccurate website, in the market you could say reported in 2023 Ben was worth thirteen million pounds. He isn’t, and as it stands he isn’t worth a lot to Swansea City either because he has the same time limitations as Darling. Ben would be more mailable to a new Swans contract, he is another player most certainly not on a reported salary of around ten thousand pounds a week. An agent we know has told us if there are more than two players above that salary at Swansea one of them isn’t Ben Cabango … or indeed Harry Darling.
We trust the professionals.
Ben has been offered terms, the problem is he doesn’t see them as the correct numbers. Had they been right and as per Darling both players would be signed up by now. Both Cabango and Darling, quite simply aren’t liking the money on offer. On Cabango, as far as we know he hasn't talked to the club in a while, and not as recently as Darling. That may have changed this week since he returned from international duty, but if we were asked to guess we would say no. What is known is that this recent Celtic link is pure nonsense as it stands. One phone call by us and the response was ‘rubbish’ That info came from a report recommending Brendan Rogers should have a look at Cabango for next year. There’s no basis or reason why anyone would believe it. It’s just a Celtic website stating ‘Brendan should have a look at Ben’s contract situation’ Nothing more, nothing less, but some people will get suckered.
Wouldn’t it be nice though if the club have got around the table, sorted out these two players and then announced it later today ? That we are told was the plan going back just a few weeks. The club really can’t be that far away, they've saved a whole load of money this summer with players leaving and all loans having their salaries paid. Surely there’s some room here ?
We will finish with Liam Cullen, and quite oddly on his situation. The upshot of the season so far is he seems to be one of the more determined players to succeed. He has two goals under his belt but the last we heard from Luke Williams was ‘He needs to improve this season’ then maybe he will be rewarded. What we do know is that Liam is far from happy on the salary he collects at this moment in time.
Remember just a few weeks ago we reported this ?
⚽️ —> Cullen wants a fair deal
That report certainly ruffled a few feathers at the Swans.
You can catch up with our recent reports on these three players below, and from this one to those two you will see same sentiment. Sentiment that is becoming the same old story under this Chairman. Slow progress and counting down the days to what is now a very concerning situation at Swansea City. The Swans are playing a dangerous game here, and remember every day that passes they save money because any new contract would be an increase in salary. Some believe that’s the cards we are playing.
⚽️ —> Rome burns
⚽️ —> Salary changes at the Swans
All this as we build up to tomorrows home game against Norwich City (3pm) at the Swansea.Com. Never a dull moment.