Swansea trigger option to extend Congreve's contract
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Wales Online
a day ago
- Wales Online
Swansea City seal ninth summer signing as international signs on permanent transfer
Swansea City seal ninth summer signing as international signs on permanent transfer The New Zealand international says he has already fallen in love with how the Swans play Marko Stamenic is unveiled as a Swansea City player (Image: Swansea City) Swansea City have completed a permanent move for midfielder Marko Stamenic. The New Zealand international has signed a deal with the Swans having joined from Nottingham Forest for an undisclosed fee, and becomes the ninth arrival of a hugely busy summer window. Stamenic only joined Forest last year and leaves without making a single competitive appearance for the Reds. Before the City Ground, Stamenic was on the books at Serbian side Red Star Belgrade, and spent last season out on loan at Greek giants Olympiacos. Sign up to our Swansea City newsletter here. He made 23 appearances for the club in the Greek top flight last term, and there had previously been a suggestion the 23-year-old might return to the club for another loan spell this term. However, Swansea have now swooped in. Article continues below Stamenic, who was at the win over Sheffield United last weekend, said: 'I love watching football, so the chance to watch any football game is a good one for me. 'But to see the way the team played, the philosophy that the team play with is a different type of football that you love to see. 'I am really happy, it was a big win and a good one for the club as a whole. 'We've been talking about this move for some time now, and I've been told about the plans and the project and I fell in love with it from that first meeting. 'I am just over the moon that the deal is done.' A New Zealand international, Stamenic has won 31 caps for his country, netting three goals. He started his career at Western Suburbs before later going on to sign for Team Wellington. FC Copenhagen brought him to Europe in 2020, although he was soon loaned out to fellow Danish side HB Koge in Denmark, before heading to Serbian side Red Star in 2023. Primarily a holding midfielder, he will give Swans boss Alan Sheehan further options in the middle of the park. Sign up to the Swansea City WhatsApp service to get breaking news and top stories sent to your phone. Sheehan said: 'Marko is an excellent player, one who has been on our radar for some time, and he will bring us different attributes in our midfield with his physicality and athleticism. 'He was clear in his desire to be part of what we are building at Swansea City, and we believe his character will make him a really good fit for this group. 'We want to be an adaptable team that is on the front foot with and without the ball at all times, and Marko will help us to do that.' Director of football Richard Montague, added: 'Marko provides us with a different profile in terms of our midfield options, and his physicality and ability on the ball mean we believe he has the attributes to be highly effective in the Championship. 'His arrival strengthens an already robust midfield unit, and will allow us to play with the relentless energy and adaptability that we want to be hallmarks of our team.' Global head of analytics and recruitment Adam Worth added: 'As a recruitment team we'd identified adding a level of physicality and technical ability to our midfield as an area of need, and Marko is an exciting addition. 'Alan has spoken of the need to be tactically adaptable, and we believe adding Marko to the options we already have at our disposal will only add to our flexibility and versatility in the middle of the pitch.' Ethan Galbraith and Malick Yalcouye have already come on board to bolster his hand hand, while Melker Widell is also in the frame for the first time after being immediately loaned out following his January arrival from AaB. Other arrivals this summer include defensive trio Cameron Burgess, Ricardo Santos and Kaelan Casey, goalkeeper Paul Farman, winger Zeidane Inoussa, and forward Bobby Wales. Article continues below The club are understood to still be on the hunt for another striker, as well as a left-sided defender, and potentially another winger.
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Swansea sign Forest midfielder Stamenic
Swansea City have signed Nottingham Forest midfielder Marko Stamenic for an undisclosed fee which is believed to be more than £ New Zealand international, 23, has agreed a four-year deal with the option of a further 12 months at the Championship club having spent last season on loan at Greek side leaves Forest without making a competitive appearance for the Premier League moved to the City Ground from Serbian side Red Star Belgrade in the summer of 2024 but spent last season on loan at Greek side Olympiacos."We've been talking about this move for some time now. I've been told about the plans and the project and I fell in love with it from that first meeting," Stamenic said."I am just over the moon that the deal is done." Stamenic was in the stands last weekend to watch Swansea beat Sheffield United 1-0 and should now come into contention to feature when Alan Sheehan's team host Watford on Saturday. "Marko is an excellent player, one who has been on our radar for some time, and he will bring us different attributes in our midfield with his physicality and athleticism," Swansea's head coach said. "He was clear in his desire to be part of what we are building at Swansea City and we believe his character will make him a really good fit for this group."We want to be an adaptable team that is on the front foot with and without the ball at all times, and Marko will help us to do that."Stamenic, who has 31 caps and three goals for his country, is Swansea's ninth signing of the summer, but the Welsh club are expecting to do further business before the transfer window closes on 1 September. A centre-forward remains a priority - though no deal appears close as things stand - while Sheehan also wants a left-sided defender and a wide player. Stamenic started his professional career in his homeland with Porirua-based Western Suburbs, then spent a year with Team Wellington before moving to Europe to join had a spell on loan at another Danish side, HB Koge, before moving to Red Star in helped Oympiacos win the Greek league and cup last season, having also won domestic doubles with both Red Star and Copenhagen. "His arrival strengthens an already robust midfield unit and will allow us to play with the relentless energy and adaptability that we want to be hallmarks of our team," said Swansea director of football Richard Montague.
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- The Herald Scotland
Less Belgian waffle needed at Rangers as £40m pay day slips away
But the Belgians quickly located gaping holes in their hosts' defence and effectively sunk their hosts' hopes of making it through to the league phase of Europe's elite club competition for the first time ever when they went 3-0 ahead within just 20 minutes. Rangers were booed off the park by their own supporters – those of them, that is, who hadn't stormed out of the ground in disgust at what they were witnessing – at half-time and again at full-time even though Danilo had pulled one back for them. Read more: They were bullied off the ball by more physical, technical and intelligent footballers and were fortunate the scoreline at the end of the 90 minutes wasn't even more humiliating – their goalkeeper Jack Butland produced four outstanding saves. Their hopes of staging a fightback in the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges next week and progressing are, despite their improved second-half showing against a side protecting a comfortable lead, slender. It looks very much like they will once again miss out on a £40m pay day and have to content themselves with the Europa League this season. Martin, the former MK Dons, Swansea City and Southampton manager, was not a particularly popular choice to replace Philippe Clement this summer. He has brought in a raft of signings and needs time to integrate them into their new surroundings and implement his ideas. However, if there are many more games like this one going forward then he will not remain at the helm for long. Here are five talking points from another desperately disappointing night for the Glasgow giants. Tavernier dropped This was not the first occasion that James Tavernier has been left out on a big European night – he missed the Europa League match against Olympiacos last term and was omitted from the home leg of the Viktoria Plzen double header in the last round of Champions League qualifying this month. But not featuring in a play-off game? It didn't reflect well on the Rangers captain. Martin preferred Bournemouth loanee Max Aarons at right-back and pitched new recruit Jayden Meghoma straight in on the left of the back four. (Image: Andrew Milligan) Would his veteran defender's experience not have been invaluable against opponents who reached the knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition last term? He clearly thought not. Aarons offered next to nothing going forward and was nowhere to be seen at the Brugge goals. He very nearly gifted Nicky Hayen's men a fourth in added on time at the end of the first-half when he switched off and allowed Christos Tzolis to pinch the ball off him and get a shot away. There was a half-hearted cheer from the crowd when Tavernier came on for Aarons and also when Martin threw on Thelo Aasgaard, Hamza Igamane and Mikey Moore. But the man who has now made 101 continental appearances was unable to make a significant impact during his time on the park. Meghoma bow Talk about a baptism of fire for Rangers' new recruit. The teenage defender only completed his loan move from Brentford on Sunday and had just taken part in two training sessions with his new team-mates. But he was drafted straight into the starting line-up at left-back. It was his first competitive runout since a Championship encounter for Preston North End against Hull City away back in April. It was the biggest match of the former England youth internationalist's fledgling career by far. Would he rise to the occasion and justify his selection? Or would he be found wanting. He produced an underwhelming display. Read more: It was maybe understandable that Martin, with both Ridvan Yilmaz and Jefte on the verge of exits and Aarons not really looking comfortable out of position on the left flank, thrust the youngster into the fray. What other option did he have? Defensive disasters Ibrox was stunned in just the third minute when Nasser Djiga, for reasons best known to the Wolves loanee, decided to stop running and allow Romeo Vermant to advance unchallenged on the Rangers goal. The forward did superbly to chip over the cruelly exposed Butland. Still, what on earth was Djiga doing? (Image: Andrew Milligan) Worse, if that was possible, was to follow just minutes later when Jorne Spileers was left completely unmarked at a corner and allowed to volley a deflected shot into the net. Brandon Mechele made it three with a piledriver from the edge of the Rangers area. But why was he given the time and space to get his shot away? It was nowhere near good enough. Cooking on Gassama There were precious few if any positives for Martin to take from the Rangers display. But the way that his charges fought back in the second half was something. As was the individual showing of Djeidi Gassama. The former Paris Saint-Germain kid, a £2.2m signing from Sheffield Wednesday last month, was a handful for Brugge down the left wing, did well to supply Danilo and went close with a powerful attempt and had late strike chalked off after a VAR check. But he was perhaps the only man in a light blue jersey to receive pass marks. Apathy in the stands The empty spaces in the Ibrox stands told a story. This was one of the biggest games of Rangers' season and the home team needed every one of their followers roaring them on to get the result they needed. But just 43,731 people filed through the turnstiles on the night. The optimism which abounded in Govan when the new owners took over in May has gone. Now there is widespread disillusionment with what they are witnessing. They need to see signs there is hope for the future soon – starting in the Premiership meeting with St Mirren in Paisley on Sunday.
