Swansea agree deal for Celtic defender Welsh

Stephen Welsh is a former Scotland Under-21 international [Rex Features] Swansea City have agreed to sign Celtic centre-back Stephen Welsh on a free transfer. The 26-year-old will arrive on a two-year deal with the option of a further 12 months on 1 July after agreeing to terminate his contract at Celtic Park. Welsh, who impressed while on loan at Motherwell last season, is Championship club Swansea's first new recruit of the summer and will give head coach Vitor Matos a welcome option in central defence. "I am delighted to be joining Swansea, it's a big club with a proud history," Welsh said. "They made it clear that they really wanted me, and with the way the head coach spoke about the club, the environment he wants to create and the way he wants to play, it was a no-brainer." Welsh came through the youth ranks at Celtic and has made 70 appearances for the Glasgow giants. He spent the majority of the 2025-26 season at Motherwell, making 29 appearances for Celtic's Scottish Premiership rivals across two loan spells. In the previous campaign he had a loan stint at Belgian side Mechelen, while he also had a temporary spell with Greenock Morton in the early stages of his senior career. Latest Swansea City news, analysis and fan views What do Swans need in window - and who might go? "Stephen is an experienced player who will add quality to our squad," said Matos. "He is calm, mobile and used to playing for teams who look to be dominant with and without the ball." Ben Cabango and Cameron Burgess were mainstays at the heart of the Swansea rearguard last season, with Ricardo Santos a fringe figure and Kaelan Casey not replaced after his season-long loan from West Ham was cut short in January. Youngster Filip Lissah will be back at Swansea in pre-season after impressing while on loan at Falkirk last season, although he spent much of his time in Scotland playing at right-back. The future of another defender, Joel Ward, remains uncertain. Swansea announced in May that they were in discussions with the veteran former Crystal Palace captain with the short-term deal he signed in January expiring this summer.