Will Vipotnik be the next big Championship exit?

Will Vipotnik be the next big Championship exit? Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Zan Vipotnik has said he is happy at Swansea, but is keen to play at the highest level ByGareth VincentBBC Sport WalesPublished19 minutes agoCommentsThe future of Zan Vipotnik looks set to be the transfer storyline of the summer at Swansea City.While the ideal scenario for the Welsh side might be to keep their star striker, there is an understanding that forward players who shine in the Championship but do not win promotion tend to change clubs.The good news for Swansea, of course, is that those players tend to move for hefty transfer fees.Should teams wish to negotiate a transfer fee for Vipotnik, 24, during the upcoming close season, the Swans can point to some of the big Championship departures in recent seasons.Think Emmanuel Latte Lath, for example, who left Middlesbrough for Atlanta United for £22.5m in February last year, or Viktor Gyokeres, whose 2023 move from Coventry City to Sporting CP was worth a reported £20m.As head coach Vitor Matos pointed out earlier this month, if Swansea are to sell Vipotnik, they will only do so for "proper money".A pattern of big sales With 23 league goals to his name this season – six more than the next best in the division, Haji Wright – Vipotnik has all but secured the Championship golden boot heading into Saturday's final-day meeting with Charlton Athletic.A glance at recent campaigns in the second tier shows a clear pattern when it comes to the leading scorers in the division – unless they are part of a promotion-winning side, they often move on.Joel Piroe (19 goals) was last season's top marksman in the Championship, but he remains at Leeds after they won the title.Josh Brownhill (18 goals) also won promotion at Burnley, yet he left for Saudi Arabia with his Turf Moor contract up.Winger Borja Sainz, who scored 18 league goals for Norwich in 2024-25, joined Porto for more than £14m, while 15-goal Canaries forward J...