By Pete O'Rourke, Transfer Correspondent

22nd Jun, 2023 | 5:14pm

Sources: Swansea City to announce Michael Duff deal after breakthrough

Swansea City plan to confirm the appointment of Barnsley boss Michael Duff as their new manager in the next 24 hours, sources have told Football Insider.

The Championship club have agreed terms with Duff following a breakthrough in negotiations.

The Welsh outfit have agreed a compensation payment with Barnsley to end Duff’s contract with the Yorkshire side.

Swansea confirmed on Wednesday (21 June) that Russell Martin had departed the club to join Southampton following lengthy contract talks with the Saints.

Duff has only been in charge of Barnsley for 12 months after joining the club last summer on a three-year contract.

In his first season in charge of the side, he led the Tykes to the League One play-off final after finishing fourth in the table.

Barnsley faced Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday in the play-off final and suffered a last-gasp 1-0 defeat after Josh Windass scored late into extra-time.

Duff has overseen 58 games in charge of Barnsley since his appointment last summer and has achieved a 55 per cent win rate with the club with 32 wins and nine draws.

Prior to his Barnsley appointment, Duff’s only managerial experience came in a four-year stint at Cheltenham Town.

He secured a 16th-placed finish in his first season, but then took Cheltenham to the play-offs in 2019/20 where they lost in the semi-finals to Northampton Town.

In his third season in charge, Duff was named the League Two Manager of the Season after securing automatic promotion to League One.

The 45-year-old then secured safety in League One and recorded Cheltenham’s highest-ever league finish with a 15th-place finish in League One.

In other news, Watford and Swansea City in talks to sign George Bello