Leicester City
Cannon leaves Leicester for Stoke
Stoke City capped off an impressive window with the deadline-day addition of Tom Cannon from Leicester City.
The 21-year-old had been subject to a lot of Championship interest this window. But, it was the Potters who secured the deal on the final day of the window as he made the move to Staffordshire on loan for the season.
Although it was speculated that he would only leave the King Power permanently, the £7 million fee that the Foxes demanded was sure to put off a lot of clubs. So, Stoke have done extremely well to push this one across the line and will be delighted to have the striker for the season.
If he can excel, it could propel Steven Schumacher’s side up the table and give them genuine hope of reaching the play-offs this season.
Tom Cannon to Stoke City reaction
The forward was quick to jump on Instagram and welcome himself to Stoke City fans with a five-word message reading “Hello Stoke City let’s go”.
Having secured his move to Stoke and proudly showcasing a photo of himself as the new number nine on Instagram, he has received several messages of support.
Bosun Lawal, a Stoke summer signing, welcomed him to the BET365 Stadium with a friendly “Welcome mate.”
Meanwhile, multiple Leicester players wished him their best with Kasey McAteer, Hamza Choudhury, and young Will Alves all expressing their support. McAteer, in particular, left a message saying, “Smash it my boy,” to his former teammate.
At just 21-years-old, he still has a strong chance of returning to the East Midlands to play alongside these players, but his future will largely depend on his performances at Stoke. If he can stay injury-free and continue to display his prowess in the Championship, he could become a formidable force.
| Tom Cannon’s Championship Stats so far (Transfermarkt) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Appearances | Minutes | Goals |
| 2022-23 | Preston North End | 20 | 1,678 | 8 |
| 2023-24 | Leicester City | 13 | 423 | 2 |
Cannon looking to fire Stoke up the table
The Potters have managed one win and two losses in their opening league games (as of 11:00AM, 31st August), but their recent 5-0 victory over Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup may have shown their true colours.
So far, we’ve seen a number of players step into the striker role for Stoke, including 18-year-old Lewis Koumas, who scored against West Bromwich Albion last weekend.
However, with Cannon being handed the number nine shirt, it seems that he will be Schumacher’s number one striker. Although he has only played 33 games to date in the second tier, he shares more experience than the other options available to the Liverpudlian.
In addition, last season he was learning from one of the Championship’s best-ever strikers in Jamie Vardy and that can only have benefited his game.
With the Potters struggling for goals from their front-men in recent years, they will hope that their complete turnover up top will provide them with the answer. Having only managed two in the league so far, they will have to be much more clinical, and it will be the job of Millian Manhoef, Lynden Gooch and Andrew Moran to create chances for Cannon.
If he gets the service, he will have a strong season, with the 21-year-old outperforming his Championship expected goals to date by 3.4.
A sure piece of business from then Stoke City, who will be delighted to get this signing over the line.
