• Home
  • Football
  • Swans Ship Out Emnes And Tabanou But Valencia Bid Gets Sunk

Swans Ship Out Emnes And Tabanou But Valencia Bid Gets Sunk

Swansea City have sent out two players on loan, but failed in their deadline day bid for West Ham striker Enner Valencia. Striker Marvin Emnes has joined Championship club Blackburn Rovers on a five-month loan, while defender Franck Tabanou has moved on loan to Spanish club Granada for the rest of the season.

Swansea City have sent out two players on loan, but failed in their deadline day bid for West Ham striker Enner Valencia.

Striker Marvin Emnes has joined Championship club Blackburn Rovers on a five-month loan, while defender Franck Tabanou has moved on loan to Spanish club Granada for the rest of the season.

The Swans had hoped to balance those departures by signing Valencia on loan, but saw their pursuit of the Ecuadorian overtaken by Everton.

The Merseysiders were then bitten themselves in the dog-eat-dog world of deadline day when Tottenham’s £30m bid hijacked their own move for Newcastle United’s Moussa Sissoko.

It means Swansea signed a total of six players in the window, headed by the record £15.5 million capture of Borja Baston. The other new faces are Fernando Llorente, goalkeeper Mark Birighitti, central defenders Alfie Mawson and Mike van der Hoorn and midfielder Leroy Fer.

Emnes has joined Blackburn on loan until January 15. The Dutchman has not featured for the Swans’ first team this season after joining from Middlesbrough in July 2014 following two separate loan spells.

He last played under manager Francesco Guidolin in the Premier League defeat at Bournemouth in March.

French left-back Tabanou will spend the rest of the campaign with the top-flight Spanish side Granada after clinching his move just before the window closed at 11pm on Wednesday night.

The 27-year-old made just three appearances for the Swans last season after arriving from St Etienne for £3.5m, before returning to the French side on a five-month loan spell in January.

Former manager Garry Monk questioned Tabanou’s fitness levels shortly after his arrival and the former Toulouse player was never able to convince Monk, caretaker manager Alan Curtis, or Guidolin.

 

Related News

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson. Pic. Alamy

Phil Parkinson Heaps Praise in Wrexham Character After Show of Strength Subdues Swansea City

Phil Parkinson was full of praise for Wrexham’s iron will and character after his side bounced back from a difficult week to beat Welsh rivals Swansea City, 2-0.

David Williams | Mar 14, 2026
Ethan Ampadu of Leeds United and Wales. Pic: Alamy

Wales Foursome Have FA Cup, World Cup, and Survival Scrap on Their Mind

Wales will soon be turning to their honorary four Yorkshireman – Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Dan James and Karl Darlow – and be relieved to find they are fit and firing.

Ian Mitchelmore | Mar 13, 2026
Swansea City striker Zan Vipotnik celebrates. Pic: Alamy

Hey, Swansea City . . . What’s the Plan for Zan?

Zan is the man for Swansea City right now, but is that for the short or long term, considers Ian Mitchelmore.

Ian Mitchelmore | Mar 12, 2026
Newport County players. Pic. Alamy

Newport County Can Still Roll the Dice . . . But They Need Ladders, Not Snakes

With just 10 regular season games left to play in 2025-26, Newport County's season is fast approaching crunch time, as Ian Mitchelmore reports.

Ian Mitchelmore | Mar 12, 2026
Wrexham's Kieffer Moore. Pic. Alamy

Kieffer Moore Blow Casts Shadow Over Wales and Wrexham Hopes

Kieffer Moore’s injury has cast a cloud of anxiety that has settled over both Wrexham and Wales as both bid for a step towards glory.

David Williams | Mar 11, 2026
Head Coach Vitor Matos. Pic. Alamy

Swansea City Boss Ignores Play-Off Chat . . . But Wrexham Clash Will Turn up the Volume

Vitor Matos insists talk of a Championship play-off push by Swansea City is not on his mind ahead of Friday’s big Welsh derby against Wrexham.

David Williams | Mar 11, 2026