Get the latest Swans news sent straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Swansea City captain Ashley Williams looks set to complete a £10m to Everton in the next 48 hours, WalesOnline understands.

In a move that will rock the Swans less than two weeks before the start of the new Premier League campaign, it is believed a deal that will see the Wales captain leave the Liberty has been all but agreed.

And there is thought to be little to stop defender Williams – who led Chris Coleman's side to the semi-finals of the European Championships a month ago – being confirmed as an Everton player within days.

New Toffees boss Ronald Koeman had identified Williams as one of his top summer targets having replaced former Swans boss Roberto Martinez at Goodison, the Spaniard having first signed Williams for Swansea for a bargain £300,000 in March 2008.

It is not the first time the centre-back has attracted serious interest from top-flight rivals with Crystal Palace, Hull, Sunderland, Arsenal and Liverpool having all made varying attempts to lure the former Stockport man away from South Wales in recent seasons.

But it was thought Williams was tempted by Everton's advances and with Swansea hierarchy thought to be prepared to accept an eight-figure sum for the player who turns 32 later this month, manager Francesco Guidolin is resigned to going into the new season without his defensive lynchpin.

Guidolin had hoped to have Williams to kick-off the new campaign at Burnley a week on Saturday following his return to duty following Wales' heroics in France.

But with Swansea prepared to cash-in on a player who has two years left on his existing deal and Williams open to a new challenge, it looks set that the move will now go through.

Few fans will begrudge Williams his move after more than eight years service where he has moved up from the lower leagues to one of the Premier League's most consistent centre-backs, lifting the club's first major trophy in the shape of the 2013 League Cup along the way.

And it will mark the end of an era, with Williams – seen as many as one of the club's greatest defenders – having racked up 350 appearances and credited with key roles inside the dressing room during the bumpier parts of Swansea's successful rise.

(Image: Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images)

But that is not to say supporters will not be left reeling by his exit with pressure on the club and Huw Jenkins – backed by the new American majority shareholders – to strengthen the playing squad before the big kick-off.

Swansea have already looked to have seen off Everton interest in star midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson with the Iceland ace thought to be prepared to sign a new long-term deal.

And – despite being open to the idea of selling Andre Ayew earlier this summer – it seems the Ghana international is in the frame to lead the Swansea line this season despite £15m interest from West Ham.

There is still hope a deal can be done to land Sevilla striker Fernando Llorente but, having signed Mike van der Hoorn from Ajax earlier this summer to go with existing centre-backs Jordi Amat and Federico Fernandez,

it is not clear that they will target a replacement for Williams.