Stoke Round-Up: Newcastle defender targeted; Reported £5m bid for highly-rated youngster planned

With the season over and the summer window looming Premier League clubs will start to turn their attention to the transfer market, with a view to strengthening their respective sides ahead of the 2015/16 Premier League campaign. At The Boot Room, we are preparing to bring you all of the best opinion and analysis as the deals roll in.

Stoke City plan to raid their former Premier League rivals, with home-grown talent hot on their radar. According to The Daily Mail, the Potters are planning an £8m fee to lure English winger Nathan Redmond to the Bet365 stadium. Norwich are said to be keen to cash in on their ‘prize asset’ after being relegated, and are willing to accept bids around aforementioned price.

Mark Hughes has had a long standing interest in the 22-year-old, who has impressed for the Canaries this season. He fits the agile style that Stoke have begun to construct over recent years with signings such as Xherdan Shaqiri and Ibrahim Affelay and is not shy of getting stuck in as well as being strong in front of goal.

Redmond is thought to favour a move to the Bet365 stadium, with interest from Crystal Palace and West Ham too. It seems that he would start more games for Stoke, as rumours that Marko Arnautovic is taking his time to sign a new contract are rife at the moment.

If the club’s top scorer leaves during the summer, Redmond would be an ample replacement, scoring just five shy of Arnautovic last season.

Undoubtedly a good player, Redmond would easily get into the Stoke side. However, it remains to be seen whether the Potters will add to their abundance of fast, pacy wingers unless Arnautovic does decide to leave. Norwich will be tough to deal with however, with the Englishman’s former club Birmingham City having a sell-on clause, meaning that Stoke might have to pay a bit extra if they want to snag this talent.

Meanwhile, according to the Newcastle Chronicle, Stoke are one of a host of clubs looking towards left-back Paul Dummett from Newcastle who has recently signed a new contract with the relegated club. Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion are also said to be interested, with all three clubs looking towards British talent due to the home-grown rule.

He is expected to represent Wales at the upcoming European championships and would certainly be an acquisition for any of the clubs that are interested. Due to the signing of a new contract, Newcastle will be able to ask for a higher price and this may dampen some interest in the player.

Dummett is also a huge Newcastle United fan, and may favour helping his side return to the Premier League rather than move to a club not as close to his heart.

Although the home-grown rule is a factor in these rumours, Stoke have two very capable left-backs in the form of Muniesa and Pieters and it doesn’t seem likely that they’ll be replacing either of them soon.

In other news, The Potters are also said to be keen on the ‘brightest talent in Africa’ according to The Sentinel, reportedly sizing up a £5 million bid for Egyptian youngster Ramadan Sobhi.

Stoke are keen on signing Sobhi, who is a highly-regarded talent both on his home continent and on Football Manager. He currently has six caps for his country, becoming the second youngest Egyptian international player. He is pacy and agile and fits the similar style of Stoke’s wingers, which once again proposes a small problem in terms of position quantity.

The winger, who has previously been linked with Arsenal, AC Milan and Roma, is able to play across the front line and has helped his side Al-Ahly to their league title this season. One issue that is reportedly stumping progression with a formal bid is whether Sobhi will receive a work permit.

Mark Hughes seems to favour a very similar type of player, and whether he is trying to lessen the burden of some of his stars, or just plan ahead for the future, Ramadan Sobhi seems as if he could perform at a high standard if he signs.

The Egyptian youngster could also provide support, placing a more central attacking role just behind a striker. This would certainly benefit Stoke’s style of play and perhaps provide the side with more chances on goal, as the Potters only finished with 36 more chances created than relegated side Aston Villa.

Sobhi certainly looks one for the future and could provide to be a real asset in the future, should Stoke sign him through want of replacing a leaving player.

Written by Regan Foy.

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