Doubt looms over Florian Bianchini as Swansea skip his Austria camp

French forward Florian Bianchini’s future at Swansea City looks uncertain after he was omitted from the club’s pre‑season training camp in Austria, a move that follows just 14 Championship league starts since his August 2024 arrival and a modest impact in his first season in Wales.

Swansea City paid just under £2 million to sign the French forward from Bastia in August 2024. The deal included a contract that runs until 2028. The transfer was reported by Rex Features.

Since his arrival, Bianchini has managed only 14 league starts in the Championship. In his first season in Wales he scored three goals across 38 appearances, with just eight of those being starts. The limited impact has raised questions about his role.

He spent the latter part of the campaign on loan at Portsmouth, featuring 11 times without finding the net. The loan spell was cut short, partly due to a knee injury. The experience added little to his development.

Centre‑back Cameron Burgess and winger Eom Jisung also missed the Austrian training trip after representing their nations at the World Cup. Midfielder Franco is expected to miss a lengthy period through injury. Their absences further thin the travelling party.

The other Swan, New Zealand midfielder Marko Stamenic, is set to rejoin the squad in Austria. Youngsters Cameron Congreve and Filip Lissah travelled after productive loans at Dundee and Falkirk. Additional youngsters – Evan Watts, Arthur Parker, Thomas Woodward, Carter Heywood and Dan Watts – are also in the group, while Ben Lloyd remains absent after his spell at Newport County.

Swansea’s week‑long pre‑season camp includes friendlies against German second‑tier sides Holstein Kiel on 18 July and VFL Bochum on 21 July, followed by a match with Italian top‑flight club Udinese on 24 July. The fixtures are scheduled at 15:30 BST, 17:00 BST and 12:00 BST respectively. These games form the core of the club’s preparation.

The squad will return to regular training after the Austria trip, aiming to integrate the players who travelled. The upcoming matches will test the depth of a group that has seen several key figures miss the camp.