Swans seal deal for promising defender Harries

Swansea City have signed Coventry City starlet Cian Harries on a three-year deal, subject to international clearance.

The Wales Under-20 international joins for an undisclosed fee and will initially link up with the Swans’ development squad.

Centre-back Harries arrives at the Liberty having gained significant first-team experience at Coventry, where he played 16 games last season.

“I am delighted to be here,” the 20-year-old said.

“It is a little hard to leave Coventry, but I am really looking forward to getting going at Swansea.

“I have had a look round the training ground. It’s unreal – I am a little bit blown away by it. I don’t think there could be a better environment for me to develop in.

“My aim in the long term is to play in the Premier League. If I am lucky enough and good enough for the manager to trust me at some stage in the future, that would be a dream come true.

“But I am going into the development squad and that’s good. I feel it will give me a chance to work on the areas where I need to improve.”

Born in Birmingham, Harries joined Aston Villa at the age of seven but was released at the age of 14.

He then signed for Coventry, where he made his first-team debut on the final day of the 2015-16 season.

Last term he was one of a number of youngsters who featured in the Sky Blues’ senior side as they suffered relegation to League Two.

“It was a tough year last season for the club but I broke through and played quite a few games so in a way it was a positive for me,” added Harries.

“That has given me a really good platform to be here at Swansea.

“There were eight of us young lads involved in the first team. We all broke through at the same time and there was a point last year when there were seven of us on the pitch.

“There are not many clubs in the Football League where young players would get that opportunity, so that was the upside of a difficult season.”

Harries’s potential was also noted by Liverpool, where he had a spell on trial midway through last season, but it is the Swans who have given him the chance to prove himself at a top-flight club.

Harries has been part of the Welsh national youth set-up for a number of seasons.

He qualifies for Wales through his father, who hails from Anglesey, and went to the Toulon tournament this summer alongside the likes of Joe Rodon, Jack Evans, Aaron Lewis and Dan James.

“I know quite a few of the boys who are here and they all had positive things to say about Swansea,” Harries said.

“They talked about how good last season was and how they are looking to kick on again having gone up a division. It is really exciting for me to come and be part of that.”