With the end of the Championship season fast approaching, it is inevitable that we will be seeing some players make their final appearances in a Swansea shirt.
Loan players Luke Cundle and Matty Sorinola will return to their parent clubs while there is bound to be interest in some of Swansea’s key players such as Joel Piroe and Matt Grimes.
At the end of the 2021/22 campaign, 11 players left the club through loans, permanent deals and as players returned to their parent clubs.
Here’s how their careers have gone since leaving Swansea.
Flynn Downes
The most high-profile player to depart Swansea, Downes has struggled for regular game-time since joining West Ham.
The 24-year-old has made 25 appearances for the Hammers, 14 of them in the Premier League. Most of his minutes this season have come in the Europa Conference League, a competition where West Ham have usually rotated their team.
There is a real possibility that Downes could end up in the Championship next season as the Hammers find themselves 15th in the Premier League, level on points with Bournemouth in 18th. Downes showed his quality during his spell with the Swans but has struggled to make an impact in East London.
Downes has played second fiddle to Declan Rice and manager David Moyes who brought Downes to the club is facing the sack following the club’s recent 5-1 loss at home to Newcastle United.
Hannes Wolf
Austrian attacker Wolf retuned to parent club Borussia Monchengladbach after his short-term loan deal expired in the summer.
Wolf was a popular member of Russell Martin’s squad and wrote his name into Swansea City folklore when he scored in Swansea’s 4-0 win against Cardiff last April. Wolf has struggled with injuries throughout his career and this season has been no different.
Wolf missed eight Bundesliga games with a shoulder injury but since the turn of the year Wolf has began to feature more regularly. He’s made three 13 appearances in total this season, three of them being starts. He’s got one goal and one assist to his name.
Korey Smith
The popular central midfielder departed Swansea on a free after his contract expired last summer. The 32-year-old was subsequently picked up by League One side Derby County and Smith has been a mainstay in the centre of the park for the Rams.
Smith has racked up 41 appearances for the club so far this season, the vast majority of those being starts. Smith missed five games throughout September and October due to injury but has started all but one league game he’s been available for.
Yan Dhanda
The former Liverpool academy man was released by the Swans after his deal came to an end last summer. Dhanda found game-time hard to come by under Russell Martin, making just seven appearances in all competitions.
Dhanda was picked up by Scottish Premiership outfit Ross County in the summer and has made 29 appearances for County who find themselves second from bottom in the SPFL table.
Dhanda, however, has racked up three goals and seven assists for the club this season and has received plaudits for his efforts.
Ben Hamer
The experienced goalkeeper was released by the club after making 23 appearances for Russell Martin’s men last season.
He was picked up for fellow Championship side Watford and is yet to make an experience for the Hornets. The 35-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season.
Jordon Garrick
The winger began the campaign on loan at League One side Lincoln City, making 16 appearances in which he registered one goal and two assists.
However, he was sold permanently in January to League One basement boys Forest Green Rovers and Garrick’s form has seen an improvement. He’s scored four goals and registered one assist in 15 appearances.
Kyle Joseph
Scottish youth international Joseph joined Oxford United on a season-long loan from Swansea. He’s played 33 games for Kassam Stadium outfit, scoring eight goals, although injury briefly hampered his progress.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Joseph at Swansea but the 21-year-old is contracted to the club until 2025 so there is plenty of time for the youngster to make a mark at the club.
Dan Williams
Swansea academy product Williams was sent on loan to Cymru Premier side The New Saints at the beginning of the campaign.
The New Saints have already wrapped up the league title and Williams has featured 26 times for the club in all competitions. He’s scored two goals and registered one assist for the club.
Ryan Bennett
The 33-year-old centre-back joined Cambridge United in January after leaving Swansea in the summer of 2022. The experienced defender fell out of favour under Martin despite featuring regularly for the Swans in the first half of the 2021-22 campaign.
Since joining League One side Cambridge, Bennett has been a mainstay in the team, making 13 consecutive starts at centre-back.
Cyrus Christie
Irish right-back Christie joined Swansea on loan from Fulham during the second half of the 2021/22 season. Christie impressed during his time at SA1, making 23 appearances and scoring three goals.
He was keen for a return to the club but in a recent podcast he explained that the owners weren’t keen to spend money on him due to his age. He subsequently joined Hull City and has made 28 Championship appearances scoring three goals.
Finley Burns
A forgotten man from Swansea’s 2021/22 season, Burns made three appearances for the club on loan from Manchester City during the second half of the season.
The 19-year-old has since returned to City, featuring for their youth sides. Burns has made 26 appearances for City’s youth teams this season as he looks to catch the eye of Pep Guardiola.
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