Three signings Stoke City could make on deadline day

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Saido Berahino (West Bromwich Albion)

The England youth international and Albion contract rebel burst onto the scene with the Baggies back in the 2013/14 campaign, with a League Cup hat-trick against Newport County followed by goals against Arsenal and Manchester United. He was tipped to be one of England’s hot young prospects after scoring nine goals in all competitions in that campaign, and looked to be living up to the billing after netting 20 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions in 2014/15. He has however lacked direction, and after the press continued to link the 23-year-old with a big money move away from the Hawthorns, the player seems to have had his head turned by the hype and his form has taken a nose dive in consequence, the youngster managing only seven goals for Tony Pulis’ Baggies last season.

It is clear the Burundi-born forward sees his future away from the Black Country after rejecting a new four-year deal at West Brom, and a manager who will provide the necessary man-to-man tutelage, show belief in the forward and provide him a platform on which to perform may be able to re-ignite his form, and to up to this point, both Crystal Palace and the Potters have been heavily linked with the forward. He has shown flashes of his brilliance in fits and starts of late, having featured in all of Albion’s games so far this season, and may be the perfect replacement for the faded and departing Peter Odemwingie.

Having scored no goals from open play in their first three Premier League matches and mustering only five shots on target in those fixtures, the Potters are desperate for extra firepower with two of their formerly deadly attacking trio Bojan and Marko Arnautovic having been ineffective thus far and creative livewire Xherdan Shaqiri having sat out two of their opening three games through injury. Berahino, when on form, has proven he is a capable and proven goalscorer in the top flight, and with his movement and potent finishing he may just be the answer for Hughes’ goal-shy Stoke side. Hughes’ only other central options in Bojan, Jonathan Walters and Peter Crouch are failing to come up trumps in front of goal, and throwing Berahino into the mix may inject some much needed dynamism to the Potters’ misfiring frontline.

The Staffordshire club have already lodged a £20million bid for the Baggies marksman, however any potential departure depends entirely on the capacity of the West Midlanders to bring in another forward on deadline day to replace him in the event of a departure, so the outcome of this one is very much in the balance over the next few hours.