Stoke City warned against selling Josh Laurent to Birmingham City

Stoke City will be hoping for a much-improved campaign in the Championship next season.

It was another underwhelming season for the Potters as they were dragged into a relegation battle, but a strong end to the campaign saw them achieve safety as they finished 17th in the table.

Stoke have brought in three new signings so far this summer as head coach Steven Schumacher rebuilds his squad, with Viktor Johansson, Ben Gibosn and Eric Bocat arriving at the bet365 Stadium, while a number of senior players have departed, including the likes of Ciaran Clark, Tom Edwards, D’Margio Wright-Phillips, Wesley and Tyrese Campbell.

One player who could be heading out of the exit door before the end of the transfer window is midfielder Josh Laurent.

Laurent joined the Potters from Reading in the summer of 2022, and he captained the side last season, but his future at the club is uncertain as he enters the final year of his contract.

According to TEAMtalk, Stoke accepted a bid from Turkish side Sivasspor for Laurent earlier this month, but he is believed to have rejected the move, while it has been claimed ambitious League One side Birmingham City are also interested in the 29-year-old.

Stoke City fan pundit issues verdict on Josh Laurent’s future

FLW’s Stoke City fan pundit Sam Harrison believes Laurent came in for some unfair criticism from Potters supporters last season, and he urged the club to keep hold of the midfielder this summer.

“Josh Laurent is another interesting one,” Sam said.

“He was the captain last season, and at times he’s come under scrutiny, but for me that’s unfair.

“I feel like he was one of the players last season that, if they didn’t have a good game, people would be on their back.

“It’s quite an unfair one compared to how other players can have a good game and it goes unnoticed.

“For me, I’d want to keep him.

“We haven’t got a huge number of midfielders there, but Josh Laurent, like Lewis Baker, has shown what he’s made of.

“He’s willing to battle, he’s willing to get involved in the game, but sometimes he was on the quieter side last season.

“But you can’t just blame him, there will be a number of games where a lot of the players that played didn’t really turn up.

“It felt like last season, some of the fans would say that he was the issue, and Josh Laurent’s name was, for some reason, always there.

“From an outside point of view in pre-season, it seems like Josh Laurent has been playing in the second team.

“Against Crewe, we played a stronger team for the first 60 minutes and then brought on a changed XI for the final 30 minutes, and Josh Laurent was in within that kind of side, but it’s good to have that squad depth.

“Wouter Burger, Lewis Baker and Josh Laurent are all players who are willing to battle, and he’s another one that will wear his heart on his chest, he’s so passionate.

“It’s going to be really interesting to see what he does, he’s been linked with a move to Sivasspor and Birmingham.

“If he can get himself going again and work his magic, he gets the ball moving nice and quick, he’s got a lovely bit of skill, can pass through the lines, and under Schumacher, he can work.

“It’ll be really interesting to see how the incomings compare to the outgoings.

“I feel like if we have quite a number of players coming into the club in the midfield area, like the number eight or number 10 role, then that would be an exit sign for Josh Laurent.

“But for me, I’d want to keep him.”

Stoke City facing tough Josh Laurent dilemma

It is a big decision facing Stoke on whether to cash in on Laurent.

Schumacher will surely be keen to keep hold of his captain, but he has just one year remaining on his contract, and the club will be reluctant to lose him for free next summer.

The fact Laurent reportedly turned down a move to Sivasspor suggests he may be keen to stay in English football, and given their big spending so far this summer, Birmingham would likely be able to afford a deal for the midfielder.

The Blues have signed two midfielders in Willum Thor Willumsson and Marc Leonard, but they could lose Paik Seung-ho and Jordan James before the end of the transfer window, and that may see them step up their pursuit of Laurent.