Stoke City need to make some smart transfer decisions in the coming months to help them push up the table next season under Steven Schumacher.
The Potters have already added talented goalkeeper Viktor Johansson, seasoned center-back Ben Gibson, and dynamic wing-back Eric Junior Bocat from Sint-Truiden, Norwich City, and Rotherham United, respectively. In the upcoming months, they will likely be active in the transfer market as Steven Schumacher assembles his team in preparation for the 2024–25 season.
Despite a successful finish to the season, the former Plymouth Argyle coach let Tyrese Campbell leave the team ahead of the first summer transfer window. Ciaran Clark, Wesley, Tom Edwards, and D’Margio Wright-Phillips also left after their contracts expired.
Jordan Thompson’s current contract has been extended by one year, and Frank Fielding and Enda Stevens have signed new 12-month contracts. However, Schumacher still has a lot of work ahead of him on the transfer market this summer.
In light of this, we examine the possible transactions and choices that would ensure that this summer is ideal for Stoke in advance of the upcoming campaign.
Wouter Burger stays at the club
It is impossible to overstate Wouter Burger’s influence on Stoke’s results since moving to the Potteries last summer.
The Dutch youth international arrived at Stoke from Basel in August of last year for a reported £4.3 million. Two minutes into his Carabao Cup debut, he scored against Rotherham United to show his value.
In his first season at the bet365 Stadium, he was a vital member of the team under both Alex Neil and current head coach Schumacher. He finished 41 appearances in all competitions with four goals and four assists, impressing with his mature, commanding presence in center midfield.
Schumacher has to hang on to the 23-year-old this summer. A recent TeamTalk article revealed that Stoke will have to fight to hold onto him because of interest from Tottenham Hotspur, demoted Sheffield United, and two more Premier League teams that have not yet been disclosed.
It is said that a bid of about £12 million will be sufficient to entice him to go, although it would be best if the club did not receive any serious offers close to that sum so he could carry on being the focal point of their midfield come 2024–2025.
Ki-Jana Hoever re-joins
Right-back Ki-Jana Hoever, another of Stoke’s most impressive players from the previous season, has now returned to parent club Wolves after his loan period expired, but it doesn’t appear like he will force his way into Gary O’Neil’s plans for the upcoming campaign.
Hoever first signed with the Potters on loan in January 2023. He made enough of an impression during his first half-year to win a second transfer to the bet365 Stadium in the summer of 2023–24, when he scored four goals and provided five assists in 44 games across all competitions.
Although some Potters fans have questioned his defensive skills, the 22-year-old’s strong play toward the end of the season has undoubtedly convinced head coach Schumacher and any skeptics to want him back next season. Given Wolves’ current options, they may get that chance.
| Ki-Jana Hoever 2023/24 Stoke City Championship statistics | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 40 |
| Goals | 4 |
| Assists | 5 |
| Tackles per 90 | 2.7 |
| Interceptions per 90 | 2.05 |
| Blocks per 90 | 0.76 |
| Progressive passes per 90 | 5.57 |
| Shot-creating actions per 90 | 2.05 |
| Stats as per fbref | |
Right-backs Nelson Semedo and Matt Doherty are available to Gary O’Neil going into the summer, and Pedro Lima, a teenager from Brazil, will be joining the first team after spending £8 million to leave Sport Recife.
If all three remain at Wolves, that puts Hoever in a difficult situation, and if he does decide to go, either permanently or on loan, Stoke will undoubtedly be in the driver’s seat to sign him.
The greatest concern for Steven Schumacher will probably be whether he receives better offers than Stoke, but the head coach will be hoping that his past success with the team and his strong bond with Potters’ supporters will persuade him to make a third trip back to the bet365 Stadium.
Daniel Johnson leaves
Daniel Johnson, an attacking midfielder, signed a two-year contract with the Potters last summer, rejoining his old boss Alex Neil at Preston North End. With eight years of Championship experience at the Lilywhites, Johnson seemed like a solid addition to the Potters’ ranks.
Under Neil, he started 15 of Stoke’s first 18 Championship games as a regular during the season. However, when Schumacher was named in December, he quickly lost his spot in the starting lineup.
He was dropped from the matchday squad and only saw the bench once more before the season ended. His final 26 league appearances in 2023–24 came from an away trip to Blackburn Rovers, when he missed a penalty to tie the score.
Johnson was reportedly available for transfer in the January transfer window, per TeamTalk. Since he hasn’t changed his on-field status this summer, it’s evident that Schumacher does not have Johnson in mind for the upcoming campaign, particularly if Stoke adds some midfield players in the near future.
He will undoubtedly want to move abroad to play regular football in order to attempt to resuscitate his international career before it is likely to be over in the upcoming years, after he was left out of Jamaica’s team for the Copa América this summer.
He is 31, so he should still be nearing his prime when given the option, and if the Potters indicate that he is available for transfer again, there will undoubtedly be bidders. Therefore, it would make sense for him to permanently move away and join another Championship team that needs experience.
Tom Cannon joins on loan
In order to assist the Potters improve their dismal scoring record in the 2023–24 season, Cannon would be a perfect addition. With Tyrese Campbell’s departure, Schumacher is almost certain to add a forward this summer.
It is evident that adjustments are required because Stoke finished as the sixth-lowest Championship scorers the previous season, with winger Andre Vidigal finishing as the team’s best scorer with six goals, and strikers Campbell, Ryan Mmaee, Niall Ennis, Nathan Lowe, and Wesley scoring a total eight goals in the league.
Cannon previously demonstrated his abilities in the Championship, scoring eight goals in 20 games while on loan at Preston North End in 2022–2023 to gain a transfer from parent team Everton to Leicester City in the summer.
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