Hearts were linked with Celtic's Scottish defender Stephen Welsh, but he has now agreed to join Swansea City on a multi-year deal after terminating his contract. Motherwell were also interested but could not meet the financial requirements of the transfer. According to the Daily Record, other Championship clubs were also pursuing the 26-year-old. It is believed that Swansea head coach Vitor Matos was influential in persuading Welsh to join. Welsh, who joined Celtic in July 2020, made 24 appearances in the Scottish Premiership in the 2025/2026 season, scoring one goal and providing one assist. He has 10 caps for the Scotland U21 team and a current Transfermarkt market value of €2.00m.