Sport
Stoke City’s Dream Summer Transfer Window: Burger Stays, Key Moves, and Future Prospects
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 signed standout goalkeeper Viktor Johansson, experienced centre-back Ben Gibson and exciting wing-back Eric Junior Bocat from Rotherham United, Norwich City and Sint-Truiden respectively, and are set to be busy in the transfer market in the coming months as Steven Schumacher shapes his squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Ahead of the former Plymouth Argyle boss’ first summer transfer window, he allowed Tyrese Campbell to leave after eight years with the club, despite a strong end to the campaign, and Ciaran Clark, Wesley, Tom Edwards and D’Margio Wright-Phillips all departed upon the expiry of their contracts.
A one-year extension has been triggered on Jordan Thompson’s existing contract, while Frank Fielding and Enda Stevens have each penned new 12-month deals, but Schumacher still has a lot of work to do on the transfer front this summer.
With that in mind, we take a look at the potential deals and decisions that would make this summer a perfect one for Stoke ahead of the new season.
Wouter Burger stays at the club
Wouter Burger’s impact on Stoke’s performances since his arrival in the Potteries last summer cannot be understated.
The Dutch youth international joined Stoke from Basel last August for a reported fee of £4.3m, and soon set about proving his worth with a goal two minutes into his full debut against Rotherham United in the Carabao Cup.
He was a key player under Alex Neil and current head-coach Schumacher in his debut season at the bet365 Stadium, as he registered four goals and four assists in 41 games in all competitions and impressed with his mature, imposing presence in central midfield.
The 23-year-old is a must-keep for Schumacher this summer, after a recent TeamTalk report confirmed that Stoke face a battle to keep him this summer due to interest from Tottenham Hotspur, relegated Sheffield United and two other unnamed sides from within the Premier League.
A fee of around £12m is reportedly set to be enough to prise him away, but it would be ideal if the club did not receive any concrete bids near that figure so he can continue to shine at the heart of their midfield in 2024/25.
Ki-Jana Hoever re-joins
Another of Stoke’s standout performers from last season, right-back Ki-Jana Hoever has now returned to parent club Wolves upon the expiry of his loan deal but looks unlikely to force his way into Gary O’Neil’s plans for the new campaign.
Hoever initially joined the Potters on loan in January 2023, and impressed enough in his first six-month spell to earn another move to the bet365 Stadium last summer, where he netted four goals and notched five assists in 44 games in all competitions in 2023/24.
His defensive abilities have sometimes been questioned by sections of the Potters’ support, but the 22-year-old’s strong form towards the end of the campaign has surely been enough to convince any unsure fans and head-coach Schumacher alike to want him back next season – and they may get that chance given Wolves’ current options.
| 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 | |
Gary O’Neil has right-backs Nelson Semedo and Matt Doherty at his disposal heading into the summer, while Brazilian teen Pedro Lima is set to join up with the first-team squad after his £8m move from Sport Recife.
That leaves Hoever at a crossroads if those three stay at Wolves, and leaves Stoke surely in pole position to land his signature if he does depart either permanently or on loan.
Steven Schumacher’s main worry will likely be that he may have better offers than Stoke, but the head-coach will hope that his previous good spells at the club and great relationship with the Potters’ fans could convince him to return to the bet365 Stadium for a third time.
Daniel Johnson leaves
Attacking midfielder Daniel Johnson reunited with his former Preston North End boss Alex Neil when he signed a two-year deal for the Potters last summer, with his eight years of Championship experience at the Lilywhites seemingly making him a great addition to his ranks.
He began the campaign as a regular under Neil, starting 15 of Stoke’s first 18 Championship outings, but soon lost his place in the starting XI when Schumacher was appointed in December.
An away outing to Blackburn Rovers, where he missed a penalty to bring Stoke back into the game, signalled the last of his 26 league appearances in 2023/24 as he was cast away from the matchday squad and made the bench just once more before the end of the season.
Johnson was available for transfer in the January window, according to TeamTalk, and he has not done anything on the pitch since for that to be any different this summer, so it is quite clear that he is not in Schumacher’s plans for next season, especially if Stoke make some additions in midfield in the coming months.
He was not included in Jamaica’s squad for the Copa América this summer, so will surely want a move away to play regular football to try and revive his international career before it is likely to be over in the coming years.
A permanent move away to another Championship team that needs experience would make sense – he is 31, so should still be close to his prime when given a chance, and will definitely have suitors if the Potters signal that he is available for transfer again.
Tom Cannon joins on loan
Cannon would be an ideal signing for the Potters to help improve their poor scoring record in the 2023/24 campaign, with Schumacher surely set to bring in a forward this summer following Tyrese Campbell’s departure.
Stoke were the sixth-lowest Championship scorers last season, with strikers Campbell, Ryan Mmaee, Niall Ennis, Nathan Lowe and Wesley netting a combined eight league goals as winger Andre Vidigal finished as the club’s top scorer with six strikes, so it is quite clear that improvements are needed.
Cannon has previously proved his credentials in the Championship, as he netted eight times in 20 games on loan at Preston North End in 2022/23 to earn a move to Leicester City from parent club Everton last summer.
His time at the King Power Stadium has not gone as planned so far though, despite winning the second-tier title, as he played just 13 league games in his debut campaign and was behind the likes of Jamie Vardy, Kelechi Iheanacho and Patson Daka when competing for places.
Following the Foxes’ promotion, it seems unlikely that the Republic of Ireland international will force his way into any new manager’s plans in the Premier League, likely leaving him free to leave on loan to a second-tier side.
21-year-old Cannon would be the perfect addition to Schumacher’s young front-line, and would be given assurances of starting week-in-week-out ahead of Ryan Mmaee, Niall Ennis, Emre Tezgel and Nathan Lowe.
