Vipotnik landmark another reminder of Swansea's wise move

[Huw Evans Picture Agency]

Zan Vipotnik's penalty at Norwich City on Saturday meant another landmark in a season to remember for the Swansea City striker.

It is now 25 goals in 48 club appearances for the Slovenia international in 2025-26, with 23 of those strikes coming in 43 league games.

Vipotnik is the first Swansea player since Wilfried Bony in 2013-14 – the days of the Premier League and European football – to reach the quarter-century mark for goals in one season.

Only two others have achieved that feat since the Swans left Vetch Field 21 years ago, with Scott Sinclair famously reaching 27 goals as Brendan Rodgers' team were promoted from the Championship in 2010-11 and Jason Scotland netting 29 times as Roberto Martinez's side romped to the League One title in 2007-08.

The fact that Vipotnik's goals have come during a season which is to end in mid-table – and at one stage looked like it could turn into a relegation scrap – makes his tally all the more notable.

He is finishing the campaign in style, with six goals in his past six games, even if four of those have come from the penalty spot.

The late-season rash of spot-kicks should not distract from the fact that Vipotnik has scored all types of goals this season.

He has found the target three times at international level too, which will also have been noted by the various clubs who are bound to be assessing the former Bordeaux player's credentials as the summer transfer window approaches.

Swansea must wait and see what happens but there is already an acceptance that Vipotnik may well move on.

The good news for Swansea is that thanks in part to the new contract Vipotnik agreed last month, it will take a substantial fee – possibly something in the region of £15m – to land the Championship's leading goalscorer this summer.

And this after Swansea considered allowing Vipotnik to leave for a fraction of that price last August, before his early-season form prompted a change of plan.