Performance and Areas for Improvement
Having finished 16th in the 2022/23 EFL Championship season, Stoke City dropped one place lower the following season and finished 17th in 2023/24.
The Potters made a decent start to the campaign in August last year as they won their first two games, but things turned sour quickly. They secured just two more wins in the remainder of August and September and struggled for form. Things got bleak between November to February as they had multiple winless streaks in that time. However, just one defeat from March to May saw them finish 17th.
The FA Cup provided Stoke City with a rather short stay as they bowed out after a 4-2 defeat against Brighton in Round 3. They face the same fate in the EFL Cup, losing to Bournemouth in Round 3.
As they gear up to enter their seventh consecutive year in the Championship, let’s take a look at Stoke City’s transfer strategy.
Transfer Strategy
Stoke City have done reasonably well in the transfer market since dropping down to the Championship back in 2018. They have managed to raise funds for buying players by selling some highly-rated players to Premier League clubs for decent returns. Nathan Collins (to Burnley) and Harry Souttar (to Leicester) have helped them rake in some decent funds.
These funds have in turn been used to build the squad from the ground up, with the club’s hierarchy seeking cut-price deals to get the best value out of players. The Potters have signed several players in the price range of €1-5 million and will continue to do so in order to be efficient in the market.
Despite being in their seventh season in the Championship, Stoke City are yet to finish in the top half of the table. They will look to make some smart investments and hope that next season is their moment to break through.
Squad Needs & Areas of Improvement
Defense
The Potters currently only have six first-team defenders in their ranks and will need to add some more players straight off the bat. With most of last season’s backline already dissolved, their primary focus this summer would be to ensure they sign adequate replacements to ensure they have enough personnel.
Forward
Ryan Mmaee and Niall Ennis are the only two strikers on the team currently and Stoke will need to add more players to give them support as well as competition. Aged 26 and 25 respectively, these two players can be at the club long-term but face the risk of injury or burnout if they do not have a third player in the rotation alongside them.
Bench Depth
The Potters will need to make some additions to their roster in order to have the option of executing alternative plans if things aren’t working during matches. The Staffordshire outfit can then also effectively rotate the team and ensure everyone gets adequate minutes.
Potential Signings & Top Targets
| Stoke City Transfer Targets | Position | Current Club | Estimated Fee |
| Kwon Hyeok-kyu | Midfielder | Celtic | €750,000 |
| Tom Cannon | Striker | Leicester City | €4 million |
| Jake Clarke-Salter | Defender | QPR | €1.2 million |
| Chinonso Chibueze | Winger | Chelsea | N/A |
Kwon Hyeok-kyu
The 23-year-old South Korean midfielder only joined Celtic last year but has yet to fully be integrated into the squad. He was not even in their matchday squads for most of the games and remained on the bench whenever he was included. Kwon made just nine appearances across competitions last season and will look to play more or leave in search of guaranteed playing time.
Tom Cannon
The 21-year-old striker spent 2022/23 with Preston North End and made 40 appearances across competitions, scoring 20 goals and providing four assists. He then joined Leicester ahead of last season but ended up making just 17 appearances, scoring three goals and providing two assists. The Foxes will now look to send him out on loan for development and Stoke City could come calling.
Jake Clarke-Salter
Clarke-Salter had a good season with Queens Park Rangers last time around as he made 33 appearances across competitions, even scoring and assisting one goal apiece. Aged just 26, he has plenty of his career ahead of him and could be a valuable asset for Stoke in the years to come as they look to push for promotion.
Chinonso Chibueze
The highly-rated Chelsea youth academy product has been on Stoke’s radar for a while now, with the Potters ready to make a move this summer. Some outlets claim he has already signed but the deal is still yet to be made official by either club.
Financial Capabilities
As mentioned above, the Potters can only raise funds by selling players, with other aspects failing to bring in adequate funds to do transfer business.
Budget Overview
Last season, Stoke City managed to sell 22 players for a combined €5.45 million and spent €22.69 million in acquiring 27 players. This left them with a net deficit of -€17.24 million.
Financial Fair Play (FFP)
Stoke will need to sell players before they can purchase anybody to stay on the good side of FFP.
Strategic Spending
They will look to sign players on cut-price deals and will also look to sign free agents wherever feasible.
Also Read: Coventry City Transfers: Joe Worrall Hurdle, Jack Rudoni Fee Clarity, and Nottingham Forest Setback