Flexible Swindon Town playmaker reportedly on the market before transfer deadline
Swindon Town were beaten 4-0 at home to Walsall last weekend after an opening-day draw with Chesterfield to commence the current League Two season.
The 24-year-old was a regular feature as Chelsea’s youth side won back-to-back league and cup doubles in 2017 and 2018 playing as a deep-lying midfielder and in a wide right position across both campaigns. His first taste of regular football at senior level came at Accrington Stanley in League One before joining Crewe Alexandra in January 2022.
The former England under-20 international had initially played as a left-back for Crewe and became a regular in League Two in 2022/23, making 36 appearances in the fourth tier, scoring once and providing five assists. His versatility was on show, as he impressed in a central midfield role but also played on the right, left and in a deeper midfield role that season.
He topped the club’s charts for key passes per game and successful crosses, highlighting his creativity from a central or wide role. Tariq Uwakwe is an accomplished set-piece taker and although there are areas of his game that need improvement, he could prove to be an excellent pick-up for a League Two club looking for a creative player that can be a threat from several different roles.
Mark Kennedy took charge this summer after the club’s 19th-place finish in the 2023/24 season. It has been a busy summer transfer window with no fewer than ten permanent arrivals and the same number of permanent departures, with at least five further players released upon the expiry of their contracts.
They are without both of their top scorers from last season with Jake Young and Daniel Kemp being recalled from their loan spells in the winter transfer window after scoring 30 goals between them. Former Premier League striker Charlie Austin has departed after scoring 12 goals and five-goal forward Rushian Hepburn-Murphy has also left the club.
According to Pete O’Rourke on X, Swindon Town have made Tariq Uwakwe available on a free transfer despite the player reportedly signing a two-year contract upon his arrival last summer. The Robins have generated the lowest expected goals total of any side in League Two across the opening weeks with a total of just 0.49.
They may benefit from the creativity that Uwakwe can provide but the player did suffer a long-term injury last season that ruled him out for a large part of the season and after being a regular on the left before suffering the setback, it does appear that the club and player are ready to move on despite a year remaining on his current deal.
