The Swans’ seven-year Premier League tenure ended in 2018, with the South Wales club taking a chance on stersunds manager Graham Potter after the former Birmingham City defender led the Swedish club to a record Europa League quarterfinal run the previous year.
Swansea’s relegation saw the departure of numerous first-team talents, including ukasz Fabiaski, Federico Fernández, and Roque Mesa, with Potter’s new side ready for the financial and competitive rigors of the Championship.
On the other hand, the Swans used both domestic and foreign markets to enhance their team, bringing in seven summer acquisitions to help them compete for immediate promotion.
The Jacks finished 10th, nine points out of the playoff picture, laying the groundwork for another strong season the following year.
While Swansea finished in the middle of the table, Potter’s profile continued to climb, with Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion selecting him as head coach a year later, overseeing the Seagulls’ flawless rise through the top level before the huge transfer to Chelsea last season.
Meanwhile, we return to the Swansea.com Stadium to examine how Potter’s first five signings fared in Wales and where their careers have taken them in recent years
Govea joined on a three-year contract from Real Madrid to become Potter’s first signing as manager, with the academy product originally joining the U23s setup.
The Ecuadorian-born defender, however, was unable to break into the first-team squad, making four appearances in the Premier League 2 for Swansea City due to injuries.
Govea left after the end of his contract, joining with FC Cincinnati 2 in 2022 after trialing with Birmingham City earlier in the year.
The left-back has now joined Bulgarian top-flight club Beroe, where he has become a fixture for the Greens.
Joel Asoro
Potter used his knowledge of Swedish potential to sign 19-year-old Joel Asoro from Sunderland on a four-year agreement after the teenager impressed in cameo appearances for the Black Cats.
The Swedish international, on the other hand, struggled to break into the Swans’ starting eleven, earning four starts and collecting one assist in 14 Championship games.
The following season, the winger made a temporary move to FC Groningen, where he played 15 times in the Eredivisie until the season was cut short.
After failing to make an appearance in his second loan move to Genoa, the now 24-year-old returned to Sweden with Djurgrdens IF in 2021, where he enjoyed his first run of consistent game time, playing 71 times across three seasons in the Allsvenkan and scoring 12 times.
Asoro has now moved on, joining Ligue 1 club Metz ahead of this season.
Mr. Barrie McKay
McKay made the transfer to the Midlands with Nottingham Forest in 2017, collecting 12 goal contributions in 26 appearances in what proved to be an outstanding debut season in the English second tier after making more than 100 appearances in Rangers’ journey back up the footballing pyramid.
The next year, the Scottish international signed a three-year contract with Swansea, where he made another 30 Championship appearances, scoring two goals and providing five assists in 1-0 and 4-3 triumphs over Bolton Wanderers and Rotherham United, respectively.
However, in his second year with the club, he played only four league games before spending the next 18 months on loan at Fleetwood Town, where he appeared 34 times in League One.
Since then, the 28-year-old has returned to Scotland with Hearts, where he has played more than 70 times in the Scottish capital, contending at the top of the Scottish Premiership as well as the joys of European competition
Bersant Celina
The Manchester City academy graduate made the permanent move to Swansea in the summer of 2018 following loan spells at FC Twente and Ipswich Town.
The playmaker made 38 appearances in his first season, recording 11 goal contributions – the joint-second highest at the club.
The Kosovan international went on to play another 35 Championship matches the following year, as the Swans recorded a play-off finish, before moving to Ligue 1 side Dijon that summer.
The 27-year-old has made several moves after playing 32 times in the French top flight, plying his trade for Ipswich Town, Stoke City, Kasımpaşa and current club AIK, all on loan from Dijon.
John, a former Bluebird, returned to South Wales after a year at Rangers, where he played 26 times.
In his first season with Swansea, the left-back appeared in just ten Championship games, with stalwart Kyle Naughton providing stiff challenge for regular minutes.
The following year, though, he only made one league appearance before joining Bolton Wanderers in 2021, a transfer that was confirmed permanent in the summer.
On deadline day, the 28-year-old joined Salford City on a short-term loan after making 79 league appearances for the Trotters in the third and fourth tiers.
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