A quick look through the numbers is a good pointer for who Stoke City might be prepared to let leave this week..
The transfer window shuts at 11pm on Friday and the big overriding aim for Stoke this summer has been to try to add quality while keeping a handle on the size of the group in the changing room.
Lewis Baker came off the bench to score the winning goal for Stoke against Coventry on the opening day but it remains to be seen if he’s happy with being a squad player. The midfielder is 29 now with a superb scoring record in the Championship. He offers something different to anyone else at the club but perhaps he isn’t naturally a fit for a Schumacher team playing with aggression and high-intensity running. It would still be a hard call to sanction an exit.
Josh Laurent has shown that he can be very effective in a Schumacher team but, like Baker, is into the last year of his contract and he’s 29 too, looking for longer term security. He has handed over the captain’s armband to Ben Gibson but has been appointed as his vice.
Jordan Thompson is also in the last year of his contract but with Ben Pearson and Bosun Lawal currently in the treatment room it would be an unlikely departure at this stage, even if he knows he will face stiff competition for a starting position down the line.
Andre Vidigal hasn’t been able to hold down a starting place since his sprint start to life at Stoke. He has been missing with a sore foot in recent weeks. Lynden Gooch has been trying to establish himself as cover and competition for Bae Junho on the left wing this summer but Lewis Koumas might have taken over that role. But such is his versatility that he will still be needed as cover and competition at right-back.
Niall Ennis has had to watch on for large parts since joining from Blackburn in January and Stoke’s pursuit of another centre-forward, plus the return of Ryan Mmaee and, soon, Sam Gallagher to fitness might not do his chances of minutes any favours.
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