It brings to an end what must rank as one of the least productive loan stints ever by a Premier League player at the Championship club.
Benson has returned to parent club Burnley who wasted little time in moving him on to Israeli side Maccabi Haifa in a permanent move for an undisclosed fee, after Swansea decided his loan — agreed on deadline day last summer — was not working.
The 28-year-old departs having made just eight appearances in all competitions, only one of them a league start, and without offering any evidence of Premier League quality.
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The lack of impact was underlined by the club’s stark announcement of his exit, which contained no thanks or good wishes for the future and read simply:
“Swansea City can confirm Manuel Benson has returned to parent club Burnley in order to pursue an opportunity elsewhere.”
Swansea had been actively looking to move Benson on throughout the January window after his failure to influence games, despite arriving with a reputation forged in the Championship in the 2022-23 season, when he scored 13 goals.
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That tally helped Burnley clinch promotion, but his time at Burnley in the Premier League was a different story with 11 appearances in 2023-24 and no goals, before seven appearances and one goal last season.
That decline continued at the Swans with no goals and no assists in his eight appearances.
His departure leaves the Swans lighter in wide areas but head coach Vitor Matos insists he will not rush into the market ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline.
"There's depth in the squad that we can use to cover," Matos said.
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Benson’s exit comes as Swansea deal with further problems out wide, with Zeidane Inoussa ruled out for up to 12 weeks with a stress fracture in his back.
The Sweden Under-21 international has missed the club’s past two matches and is now unlikely to return until the closing stages of the season.
"It is something regarding a stress fracture, something that he had before and sometimes with the amount of games, that can aggravate it," Matos said.
"That was the case unfortunately for him and for us. The most important thing is that he returns in good shape."
Inoussa’s first campaign in Wales has been uneven, yielding a single goal in 29 appearances since his arrival from BK Häcken last summer for a significant, undisclosed fee.
Despite losing both Benson and Inoussa, Matos remains confident his squad can cope, particularly after securing winger Gustavo Nunes on loan last week.
The Swansea boss is also set to be boosted by returning faces for Saturday’s Championship trip to Watford.
Midfielder Ethan Galbraith is available again after resuming full training on Thursday, having been withdrawn at half-time during last weekend’s defeat at Hull City because of a knee issue.
Defender Ishe Samuels-Smith could also return to the matchday squad following a groin injury.
But for Benson, the Swansea chapter closes quietly — a high-profile arrival that never ignited, summed up by a muted farewell and an exit that passed almost as unnoticed as his time on the pitch.
