--- source: thedugout.football generated: 2026-06-09T19:05:29.524Z last_updated: 2026-06-09T15:18:44+00:00 data_provider: API-Football canonical: https://thedugout.football/clubs/swansea-city/news/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FsZXNvbmxpbmUuY28udWsvc3BvcnQvZm9vdGJhbGwvdHJhbnNmZXItbmV3cy9jZWx0aWMtc3Rhci10cmFuc2Zvcm1lZC1leHBlcnQtcmV2ZWFscy0zNDA5MTE5Nw --- # Celtic star 'transformed' as expert reveals reason behind free Swansea transfer - **Source:** - **Published:** 9 Jun - **Club:** Swansea City - **Original URL:** https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/celtic-star-transformed-expert-reveals-34091197 Swansea City are poised to complete their first signing of the summer, with central defender Stephen Welsh set to join on a free transfer from Celtic. The 26-year-old enjoyed two loan spells at fellow Scottish side Motherwell last season, and actually had one year left on his deal at Celtic Park. However, he has since left the Scottish champions by mutual consent, and is now set to link up with the Swans ahead of the new season. He is currently ironing out the formalities of the move, and could well be confirmed as a Swansea player by the end of the week. Swans sources have suggested Welsh will be arriving to add cover for Cameron Burgess and Ben Cabango at the heart of City's defence next season, rather than to slot in as a first choice. JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Follow Wales Online’s Swansea City FB page for more news and analysis But having played some of his best football for Motherwell last season, it's perfectly possible he will be eyeing some sort of role in Vitor Matos' plans next season. Scott Burns, who originally broke the story for our sister publication the Daily Record, believes the defender will bring a skillset well-suited to the sort of football Swansea want to play under Matos. "He's a central defender, he can play left or right side. He's right footed but he can also play on the left-hand side. "He's quite strong in the air, although he's probably not the biggest for a central defender. "But he's quite physical. Very good on the ball. "He's calm as well. He's never really sort of flustered and always seemed very level-headed, "So, the times when he's been under pressure, he's shown he's the type of player that'll keep his cool and not lose his head." Welsh's eye-catching showings at Motherwell clearly caught the attention of the Swans, with Welsh working under a boss at Fir Park that Burns believes made the very most of his talents. "Last season at Motherwell was probably his best in senior football, and it probably took his career to a new level. "Under the Danish manager they had in Jens Berthel Askou, they'd gone from being a bottom-six team into a side that was playing this sort of free-flowing passing football. "It was brilliant to watch. They got Stephen in on loan, and when he was playing in that way it was brilliant. "He was one of Motherwell's best players and one of their best defenders. An absolute stand-out. "It was all about passing out from the back, breaking the lines. Things like that. "During his time at Celtic, and actually the time before when he was out in Belgium, he hadn't really done that. "Nobody had really seen that side of him. "Berthel Askou basically transformed him as a player and there were several others in that Motherwell team in the same boat." In total, Welsh made 29 appearances for Motherwell, and was clearly a key part in a season that would see them finish fourth. However, it wasn't all smooth sailing. In January, his parent club Celtic, presumably as impressed as many others, made the decision to bring him back. "They played him against Falkirk and then against Auchinleck in the cup," Burns remembers. "That was very strange because they're a non-league team. "When he was recalled by Celtic, everyone thought he was coming back to play or to be sold in January. "But when Celtic played him, it meant they couldn't sell him. So it meant that unless he was going to get a chance at Celtic, which he wasn't going to get, he would have to go back to Motherwell. "So it was all very bizarre what happened in January. "And then, Celtic left it all hanging on until the last minute. Motherwell wanted him to come back, and Welsh wanted to go back there. Welsh would pick up just where he left off, although he would still win the hearts of many on the green half of Glasgow by helping Martin O'Neill's title bid. "One of the reasons he's got this free transfer is he actually played a significant part in helping Celtic win the league," Burns adds. "He played really well as Motherwell beat Rangers at Ibrox. Then there was another game where Motherwell played Hearts. That finished as a 1-1 draw and that gave Celtic the chance to win the league. "Stephen was brilliant in both games, and given he'd also come through the ranks at Celtic, I think they decided it was only fair they give him the chance to go out and play." Game time is an understandable demand, and appears to be the primary motivation for bringing the curtain down on his stay with the club he supported as a boy. In his entire career, Welsh has played just 134 games in senior football, a tally that might well spark some concern among Swans fans given his age. Nevertheless, it seems there was no shortage of interest this summer. "There was other Championship clubs interested," Burns continues. "Major League Soccer interest, and there were two or three offers from the Scottish Premiership as well. "The other one was Metz. So there was interest. "Motherwell would have loved to take him back. But I think they were paying about a tenth of his wages, so there was never really an opportunity "When Swansea came up, I think that was the one he wanted. "Not just for the way they play, but because I think he sees them as an ambitious club working to try and get back to the Premier League. "I think he feels he's got that in Swansea."