Is Manchester City’s Fabian Delph the man to revive Stoke City’s midfield?

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The Stoke Sentinel are reporting that Stoke City are closing in on the signing of out-of-favour Manchester City midfielder Fabian Delph as Mark Hughes continues his summer rebuilding plans at the Bet365 Stadium.

The Potters experienced a relatively disappointing campaign last season, finishing in the bottom half of the Premier League and suffering early exits from both domestic cup competitions, leaving supporters completely underwhelmed and feeling that the club had regressed. There were calls from some quarters for Hughes to be sacked but chairman Peter Coates had made it clear that the manager retains his full, unwavering support.

However, there is a recognition around the club that there must be an definitive improvement in both the level of performances and ultimate results on the pitch, with Hughes keen to re-shape his current, aging squad of players.

Off the radar

Fabian Delph joined Manchester City from Aston Villa in the summer of 2015 for £8,000,000 but has failed to make his mark at the Etihad Stadium in the subsequent two years.

Despite being a full England international upon his arrival, the 27-year-old seen his progress hindered by multiple injuries and the club’s continued investment in high-profile big-name signings. Delph has made just ten starts in the Premier League in two seasons with the club and has started just two matches since Pep Guardiola was appointed as Manchester City manager just over twelve months ago.

The Spaniard has made it clear that the central midfielder will have limited opportunities to play first team football if he remains at the Etihad Stadium next campaign and is willing to allow the midfielder to depart either on loan or for a permanent deal worth around £12,000,000.

Delph initially started his career at Leeds United, progressing through the academy ranks before cementing his place in the first team whilst the club were attempting to win promotion from League One. In the summer of 2009 Aston Villa won the race to secure his signature where his performances as an energetic central midfielder with superb vision and an eye for goal led to a call up for the England national team.

In 2015, just two days after insisting that he would remain at Villa Park, he secured a controversial move to Manchester City.

However, the 27-year-old has seen his career stall in Manchester and his stock has fallen rapidly over the ensuing two years. A player who was at one stage being tipped to be England’s next prominent midfielder has disappeared entirely off the radar – he requires a fresh start and regular game time in the Premier League.

Stoke face competition

When questioned about Stoke City’s interest in Fabian Delph manager Mark Hughes confirmed “we’ve asked for an idea in terms of the possibility of doing something. That’s been ongoing for a couple of weeks now and we just have to be patient. … He’s one of a number of players [we are] looking at”.

The Welshman is currently re-moulding his central midfield and has already signed Darren Fletcher from West Bromwich Albion and handed American international Geoff Cameron a new three-year contract, whilst the club will also be boosted by the return of Bojan Krkic who spent the second half of last season on loan.

Conversely, Glenn Whelan and Giannelli Imbula are both expected to depart in the coming months whilst Charlie Adam also faces an uncertain future with his contract entering its final twelve months with no indication that a new deal will be offered. It is likely that Stoke will begin the new campaign with a fresh, new-look midfield trio, with Hughes earmarking Delph as one his primary targets.

Reports suggest that Manchester City are open to either a season-long loan deal or a permanent transfer for but would be looking to recoup a significant fee for a player who still has three years remaining on his contract. However, Stoke will face competition from Midlands rivals West Brom and newly promoted Newcastle United for the midfielder’s signature according to The Telegraph.

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