Swansea City has joined fierce rivals Cardiff City in the hunt for a defender who recently travelled to North America to compete in the FIFA World Cup, as the two Welsh clubs compete in the market before taking the field this year.

Swansea’s summer transfer market has been active thus far, with Vitor Matos trying to establish his authority over the Welsh club in his first pre-season in charge.

The Swans have already signed Stephen Welsh from Celtic, Moussa Yeo from RB Salzburg, Elijah Just from Motherwell, and Joseph Opoku from Zulte Waregem, with Leo Walta’s loan from Sirius becoming permanent.

Welsh, 26, enters on a free transfer from Celtic, boosting Matos’ defensive options while a compatriot might be on his way to the club this summer, as Swansea attempt to outbid their bitter rivals for an international defender.

Swansea City and Cardiff City are both interested in signing Scottish international John Souttar this summer.

With Ricardo Santos leaving the club to join Sheffield Wednesday, Swansea’s next area of need is to bolster their defence, with Cameron Burgess and Ben Cabango both in need of competition.

Matos appears to have taken this into mind, as The Scottish Sun reports that the Swans have “emerged as a possible option” for 29-year-old Scottish international John Souttar this summer.

Souttar had previously piqued the interest of West Ham United, Sheffield United, Leicester City, Watford, and, most notably for Swansea fans, Cardiff City, according to the Daily Record, with the former Hearts player free to leave the club in the coming days, weeks, and months.

Despite signing a contract extension with the Glasgow club in February, the Scot was left out of the Rangers’ pre-season trip to Spain by new manager Derek McIness, and he appears to be on the verge of leaving sooner rather than later.

With 255 Scottish Premiership games under his belt for Rangers, Hearts, and Dundee United, as well as 24 caps for the Scottish national team, Souttar would bring a lot of experience to any club he joins this summer, with a transfer south of the border on the cards.

Swansea, who have limited centre-back choices, have identified Souttar as a potential option this summer, and given Cardiff’s interest in him, they would undoubtedly like to complete the transaction for a variety of reasons.

Rangers are eager to sell him in the coming weeks, so a large amount is unlikely, as both Swansea and Cardiff can most likely afford it, albeit his salaries may be a stumbling issue.

Both Welsh clubs will face competition from English sides as the saga continues.

Vitor Matos can endear himself to Swansea City supporters by defeating Cardiff City in the signing of John Souttar this summer.

Matos’ effervescent demeanour, combined with great outcomes on the pitch, has already helped him gain popularity among Swansea supporters since taking over from Alan Sheehan in November 2025.

The former Liverpool coach accepted his first post as head coach of any first team in his native Portugal with Maritimo in July 2025, but moved to Wales shortly after with the Swans, where he led them to an 11th-place finish last season.

Expectations are high in this area of South Wales following last season and an eventful summer window thus far, with Matos hoping to boost spirits by beating Cardiff to the signing of Souttar.