Southampton's Ross Stewart is reportedly in advanced talks to join Swansea City on a free transfer. The 30-year-old left the Saints on June 30, following the expiry of his contract. Swansea have now moved ahead of rivals in their pursuit of the Scotland international, who scored eight goals and provided two assists in just 11 Championship starts last season. Despite struggling with injuries throughout his spell at St Mary's, Stewart is highly regarded by a number of clubs in the second tier for his goalscoring exploits and ability to bring teammates into play. Having opted to leave Southampton in search of more regular playing time elsewhere, a move to Swansea now looks set to be agreed as part of their ambitious transfer plans. The addition of a new striker has become a priority for Swansea following the departure of Liam Cullen, while they are bracing to lose last season's top goalscorer Zan Vipotnik. Vitor Matos is keen to add more strength in depth to his side given concerns about his current options' consistency and availability, and has now moved to land an alternative. Stewart's availability placed Swansea on high alert earlier this summer, alongside a number of their Championship rivals, and they are now set to win the race. While the Scotland international has also struggled with fitness issues in recent seasons, his 33 appearances last time out have given hope that he can remain available. His goalscoring record in the second tier is impressive, while he will be able to provide competition for the current options and play a regular role in the starting XI. League standing (final 2025 table -- new season not yet under way): 4th in Championship, 80 pts, 22W-14D-10L from 46 games, recent form WDWDD. Goals this season: 82 scored, 56 conceded (+26 goal difference). Title race: 15 points behind leaders Coventry. Next fixture: vs Portsmouth (away, 2027-02-28) (18th in the table).