Swansea City coach Vítor Matos has admitted they need to face the reality that star striker Žan Vipotnik could be sold this summer.
The Swansea boss has been speaking about the club and their star man in an interview with A Bola today.
Star striker Vipotnik
Žan Vipotnik joined the Welsh side in 2024 on a free transfer after leaving Bordeaux in France. But this season has been his breakout one.
21 goals in 42 games in the league, plus another two in four in the EFL Cup, have made his second season in the Championship a memorable one.
He is the current top goalscorer in the division and has the best minutes per goal ratio of the top ten scorers. His 25% goal conversion rate is also the second best.
Swansea City sale may be likely
Such an impressive record is unlikely to have gone unnoticed by bigger clubs. And while Vítor Matos would prefer not to sell, he knows there’s a financial reality to such matters.
“I have nothing but praise for him. It is fantastic to watch him score, and to see him scoring goals in so many different ways. I am truly delighted,” he said.
“Now, obviously, we operate within a reality where selling players is always an important factor. You always have to be prepared for the possibility that offers may arise which the club deems worth accepting.
“However, if you were to ask me whether he is the kind of player for whom we would be justified in demanding a substantial fee, I have absolutely no doubt about that. It is plain for everyone to see that he is a player with high market value and immense collective importance to the team.
“As a coach, he is likely the kind of player I would least want to lose during a transfer window. However, we must always remain mindful of the financial realities. And the broader project, of the club itself, in order to ensure our long-term financial sustainability.”
Focus on improvement for now
For now, the focus is on Žan Vipotnik’s incredible improvement to this point. Few would have expected such a return from a striker who arrive at Swansea City as a complete unknown in the summer of 2024.
Even fewer still would have predicted him hitting the heights he has this season give he managed seven in 42 last season. That’s a tally he has now tripled, in one game fewer.
Vítor Matos, though, knows the work that the striker has put in to get to where he is.
“He possesses an incredible ease and spontaneity in his finishing,” he added.
“That kind of shooting power is very hard to come by. Whether from outside the box or inside it, with his left foot, his head, or his right foot. He is a truly complete centre-forward.
“He has grown significantly in terms of contributing to the team’s defensive side as well, without losing any of his spontaneity.
“In other words, he managed to evolve his game, becoming much more effective in his pressing, showing greater tactical control, and often leading the team in terms of applying pressure, demonstrating our collective ability to try and dominate even when out of possession.
“He has made great strides in this regard, all without sacrificing his natural spontaneity or his spark in key moments. This development was crucial for him to maintain his place. And to reach the high level he currently occupies.”
