Nathan Wood: Swansea City take up option to extend centre-back's contract

Swansea City have taken up an option to extend Nathan Wood's contract until 2025 with Luke Williams hailing the centre-back as one of the Championship's finest defenders.

The initial two-year deal Wood signed with Swansea had been due to expire this summer, but he is now tied to the Championship club for a further season.

Head coach Williams hopes Wood, 21, will eventually sign a new long-term contract.

"He is going to be top," Williams said.

"He is nearly top, he is not quite top yet. There is a lot to like about him. He has a big-dog mentality -fearless. He has all the attributes - aggressive, one minute smooth, one minute nasty.

"He is quick enough for any level. He is happy to take the responsibility. Decision-making in a few moments and being at it 100% in every minute, this the challenge for him."

Swansea paid around £400,000 to sign Wood from Middlesbrough - who they face on Saturday - in the summer of 2022.

Russell Martin, the man who brought Wood to Wales, then tried to take England Under-21 player with him to Southampton last summer, but Swansea rejected two offers worth up to £10m from the Saints.

Wood was one of Swansea's star performers last season and, though his progress this term was hampered by ankle surgery in the autumn, he has looked back to his best in recent months.

Williams says the decision to extend Wood's contract gives Swansea some "breathing space" but that they will look to convince one of their key assets to commit to a longer-term agreement.

"We want players invested in Swansea so we will have some conversations about how he feels," Williams said.

Asked about the prospect of further interest from clubs with more financial power, Williams added: "He is 21 and he is already in the top five centre-halves in the Championship I would say. Next season he is going to be in the top three because he is going to improve in the summer.

"If someone comes in at a certain level and the boy wants to go, let's be honest, there's nothing we can do about that because we are not going to be able to compete with the offers.

"I don't think we are going to be able to fend off some of the big clubs, if the boy wants to go and the money is really substantial."