Northern Ireland international Ethan Galbraith has completed his move to Championship outfit Swansea City on a three-year deal which includes the option of an additional 12 months.

Galbraith had attracted a host of admirers following his performances for Leyton Orient last term – he scored six goals and provided a further seven assists across 42 league appearances – with Huddersfield Town, Charlton Athletic and Sheffield United also interested in the former Manchester United midfielder, but Swansea have won the race in a deal worth more than £1.5million.

Swansea tried to swoop for Galbraith in the closing stages of the January transfer window but ultimately couldn’t seal the deal and renewed their interest this summer.

The 24-year-old, who departed Linfield for Premier League giants United in 2017, will now take a step into England’s second-tier after impressing for an Orient side that narrowly missed out on Championship promotion following play-off final defeat to Charlton.

placeholder image — Swansea City have won the race to sign Ethan Galbraith, who is pictured with agent Lee Mudd

“We are delighted to have secured Ethan’s services and added him to the squad early into our pre-season preparations,” said Swansea’s head coach, Alan Sheehan. “He has terrific technical ability which I am sure Swansea fans will appreciate and enjoy when they get to see him in action.

“Ethan is hungry and motivated for the challenge of stepping up to the Championship.

"He is excited to be joining Swansea City and we are looking forward to integrating him into the squad over the coming weeks.”

Director of football Richard Montague, added: “Swansea has a history of intelligent, technical players making their mark, and we believe Ethan has the ability and potential to develop into the latest of those.

“He joins us after an excellent spell with Leyton Orient, and the calibre of clubs who were interested in him underlines the quality he possesses.

“When Alan and I spoke to him, he made clear how much he wanted to be part of the club and the project here, and we are particularly pleased he will have time to settle into his new surroundings before the new season kicks off.”

Global head of analysis and recruitment Adam Worth, said: “Ethan is a player our recruitment and scouting teams have followed keenly for a considerable amount of time, and it is great to see everyone’s hard work come to fruition as he becomes a Swansea City player.

“We believe Ethan has qualities that make him an excellent fit for Swansea, and he is a player who is determined to work hard to make his mark in the Championship.

“We look forward to him integrating into our squad as we build towards the start of the new campaign.”

Galbraith took his game to another level at Orient with manager Richie Wellens claiming he has the potential to play at the highest level after leaving the club for a record fee.

“Of course, we are gutted to lose Ethan because he is a brilliant footballer,” he said. “He is someone who has developed on and off the pitch in the last two years.

"He's got himself a move to a level that he deserves to be playing at, and one day I believe that he can play in the Premier League. We couldn't be more proud of him, and we hope it is a good move for him and his family."

Galbraith’s club form has seen him establish himself in Northern Ireland’s senior squad once again, moving on to seven international caps after featuring in last month’s friendly double-header against Denmark and Iceland.

He made one senior appearance for United during his time at Old Trafford and enjoyed loan spells at Doncaster Rovers and Salford City before joining Orient in 2023.