Swansea City faced a battle to keep hold of Jake Bidwell in the summer, as Middlesbrough were keen on bringing the left-back in.

Whilst a deal couldn't be reached before the deadline passed in August, that doesn't mean Bidwell's long-term future will remain in Wales, as he is approaching the final year of his contract with the Swans.

As is the case with Matt Grimes, and other senior players, Bidwell's deal has been allowed to run down, which puts the club in a difficult position moving forward.

And, here we assess the situation for the defender and look at what may happen in the future.

What do we know so far?

We know that Bidwell's deal expires at the end of the season, so the player essentially holds all the cards here.

You would imagine that Swansea are in talks with the player, as Russell Martin has praised him regularly since his appointment, and he has played in virtually all of the games this season.

So, he is clearly a valued part of the team but the contract details mean that he could easily secure a move away. January is the last chance for the Swans to get a fee for the player, so big decisions for all parties are looming large.

Is a new deal likely to happen?

It's looking unlikely.

Firstly, this is a matter that should've been sorted a long time ago, so the fact he's in the final months of his deal means you would expect Bidwell to wait and assess all his options. You would also expect other clubs to be able to offer bigger contracts financially to the player.

Swansea's major hope will be that Bidwell wants to play under Martin for longer and be part of the project, but an exit does seem probable.