Swindon Town will continue to chase defensive reinforcements in the transfer market following the signings of Stephan Negru and Mitch Clark.

What happened?

The team's two additions have come at the back, with Clark viewed as a full-back and wing-back option on both sides, whilst Negru can fit in at the heart of the defence in either a back three or back four.

Why it matters for Swindon Town

But the defensive reinforcements will not stop there, as Swindon are hoping to revamp a defence that Connor Ripley identified as a key reason for the struggles in the second half of the season. Ian Holloway is very set on having a team that is better suited to the rigours of League Two football.

What comes next?

In the middle of the back line, Negru adds to Ryan Tafazolli and Filozofe Mabete as natural centre-backs, whilst Billy Kirkman would likely play there in a back three, and James Ball can also fill in. | Stat | Value | | --- | --- | | League standing | 9th in England League Two, 75 pts, 22W-9D-15L from 46 games | | Last result | Swindon Town 1-2 Chesterfield (2026-05-02) | Holloway mentioned the ability of Negru to cover for Tafazolli, who only managed to play 45 per cent of Swindon’s minutes last season. So, in addition to Negru, they will be looking for another defender who can complement Tafazolli and line up on the outside of a back three. This will likely be a defender with real pace, as whilst Negru is not slow, his pace is not his biggest asset, as it was for Knight-Lebel. With Kirkman seen primarily as a left centre-back, it is possible that another left-sided player is sought out, but it is not a priority right now. As of now, Swindon are fairly well covered on both sides, with Clark adding to Joel McGregor and Joe Snowdon on the right, and Kirkman on the left. The summer's first signing and sale give big clue for this season's plans. When explaining why he brought in Negru, Holloway said: “He’s a combative centre-back who is also very comfortable on the ball, and he’ll be a great addition to our backline.” And with the new signings, Swindon Town is looking to improve their defence and make a strong push in the League Two.