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Axel Tuanzebe among 17 centre-halves with decisions looming this summer as Stoke City search for reinforcements
If the season started tomorrow, Stoke City would only have two defenders who have been regulars at Championship level.
Josh Tymon has become a senior figure in the Stoke squad over the last couple of years while Ben Wilmot was runaway player of the season. Connor Taylor got a taste of life back at the club he loves over the last few months and the future of Tom Edwards remains unclear after he returned from loans in New York and Barnsley.
But Phil Jagielka, Morgan Fox and Aden Flint had been released, Axel Tuanzebe has ended half-a-season on loan from Manchester United and there is clearly work to do over the next few weeks to build a competitive squad.
Stoke will have a competitive budget but it’s got to stretch a long way and one of the first catalogues for Alex Neil and Ricky Martin to check for who is available will include players who have spent the last term on loan in the Championship.
There have varying levels of success and varying levels of experience but all will be heading back to their parent clubs or straight onto the free agents market with decisions to be made about what happens next.
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Callum Doyle (at Coventry from Manchester City – age 19, 40 starts, 2 sub, 1 goal)
A superb breakthrough season on loan at Sunderland in League One has been followed up with another at Coventry in the Championship, featuring regularly as they have booked a place in the play-off final.
In January he signed a new contract at Man City that runs until 2027 but he has still been linked with a move to Eintracht Frankfurt, “either on loan or permanent transfer” say the Sun. He hasn’t ruled out a return to Coventry either.
Mark Smith, from SkyBlueFansTV, said: “He reads the game well, his passing is good, you can see why Manchester City wanted him for the long term because he has got class.”
Cédric Kipré (at Cardiff from West Brom – age 26, 41 starts, 1 sub, 3 goals)
A key figure under Sabri Lamouchi as Cardiff eventually pulled clear of the Championship drop zone.
Lamouchi told WalesOnline recently: “He needs to believe more in himself because he’s an animal. He’s a very strong defender. He scored an important goal against Watford and scored very important other goals for us. He has a big impact.”
Due back in pre-season at West Brom, where he under contract for another year.
Albion boss Carlos Corberan said: “I will do an assessment at the end of the season when there are no games in the middle so I can look in detail.”
Taylor Harwood-Bellis (at Burnley from Manchester City – age 21, 31 starts, 1 sub, 1 goal, 2 assists)
England youth international has followed up an encouraging half-year with Stoke with a fine season at Burnley, where he has been able to reduce mistakes and play an important part in their rush to promotion.
Apparently wanted back by Burnley but also linked with West Ham and Newcastle United.
Dion Sanderson (at Birmingham from Wolves – age 23, 31 starts, 2 goals, 1 assist)
Stoke reportedly inquired about Sanderson’s availability in January, half-way through a successful loan at Birmingham when he “cemented his reputation as a highly accomplished Championship defender”.
There are, however, “reservations at Wolves about his ability to step up to the Premier League, especially in possession,” say The Athletic, that might prompt a permanent exit this summer.
Birmingham would want him back but are walking a Financial Fair Play tightrope.
Jonathan Panzo (at Coventry from Nottingham Forest – age 22, 24 starts, 5 sub, 1 goal, 1 assist)
Former England youth international has previously been on Stoke’s radar. Came off the bench in play-off semi-final win at Middlesbrough.
Has played at centre-back in a three or four or at left-back and is another Championship defender to be linked with Rangers
Charlie Cresswell (at Millwall from Leeds United – age 20, 25 starts, 3 sub, 4 goals, 2 assists)
Aggressive defender is another to be linked with Stoke in January.
The son of Richard Cresswell scored twice against the Potters on the opening day of the season but an impressive spell under Gary Rowett was disrupted by injury.
“Gutted I couldn’t play a part in the run in but that’s football,” he said in his end of season sign-off. “The staff, the fans and all the players have made my first full season one to remember. I came a 19 year old teenager and going back up north a man.”
What happens next might depend on if Leeds stay up or go down but his parent club have invested heavily in youth, with players such as Diogo Monteiro challenging his pathway.
Luke McNally (at Coventry from Burnley – age 23, 21 starts)
Burnley won the race to sign him from Oxford last summer but he only made two league appearances as a sub before being allowed to join Coventry in January – and he’s taken the chance to show he can cut it at this level.
Coventry have only lost two of the 21 games – one being a 4-0 whipping by Stoke – when he has played as they have reached the play-off riding a wave of clean sheets. Has been linked with a £2m permanent move this summer.
“He’s virtually guaranteed to be playing every week, and is clearly already benefiting from playing alongside the experienced head of Kyle McFadzean,” said Coventry reporter Andy Turner. “He’s strong and aggressive in the air as well as in the tackle, and good when bringing the ball out of defence.”
Grant Hall (at Rotherham from Middlesbrough – age 31, 18 starts, 2 sub)
Left out in the cold by Chris Wilder at Middlesbrough, he was influential at Rotherham in a series disrupted by a series of hamstring injuries.
Boss Matt Taylor told the Rotherham Advertiser: “He’s been one of our better players, which you’d expect from a player of his ability.”
Rhys Williams (at Blackpool from Liverpool – age 22, 13 starts, 4 sub)
Recalled by Liverpool in January to cover for Virgil van Dijk, having fallen out of favour at Blackpool towards the end of his spell. Ended up back in Liverpool’s under-21s side and has been linked with a permanent exit this summer. Under contract until 2026.
Michael Appleton, who signed him for Blackpool, said at the time: “Rhys is a physical and athletic defender who has come through Liverpool’s Academy to go on and represent their first team.”
Ciaran Clark (at Sheff Utd from Newcastle United – age 33, 7 starts, 3 sub, 2 goals)
Out of contract after helping Sheff Utd win promotion to the Premier League, although his campaign was blighted by injury.
Asked if he’d be interested in staying at Bramall Lane, he told the Sheffield Star: “Everyone around the building made me feel welcome straight away so obviously I would be.”
Charlie Goode (at Blackpool from Brentford – age 27, 2 starts)
Signed in late January, injured in early February – and Blackpool missed his influence as they were doomed to relegation.
“I’m probably quite old school in some ways, I love defending, I leave everything out there every single week and I want to win,” he had said after joining. “I’m a leader, I like to lead the team.”
Joined Brentford from Northampton in 2020 but hasn’t had the chance to live up to expectations.
Brentford director of football Phil Giles said: “I keep on telling him whenever I see him that he’s the most unlucky player I’ve ever met in terms of his injury record since he came to the club. He’s never really got proper games to see what he can do.”
Axel Tuanzebe (at Stoke from Manchester United – age 25, 3 starts, 1 sub)
Was recovering from a long-term back injury when he joined Stoke on January deadline day and was able to show glimpses of his potential despite a severe lack of match action.
Alex Neil said: “I believe that if Axel gets himself fit, Axel is better than the Championship. That was an educated gamble at that point and we were really hopeful we could get Axel fit.”
Set to be released by Man Utd at the end of his contract next month and desperately needs to find somewhere he can prove his fitness and play.
Bailey Wright (at Rotherham from Sunderland – age 30, 5 starts, 2 sub)
Helped Sunderland win promotion under Alex Neil but short on game time this season and a spell to Rotherham was kyboshed by ankle ligament damage.
He told the Rotherham Advertiser: “I’m still a Sunderland player, I’ve still got another season on my contract there. I still feel I have to prove myself here in every game. That’s the mentality I’ve had all through my career.”
Omar Rekik (at Wigan from Arsenal – age 21, 10 starts, 1 sub)
Linked with Stoke last year, the 21-year-old joined Wigan in January and had to overcome some niggling injury issues during their battle to stay up.
Remains to be seen if he will be kept at Arsenal or sent out again next season and he told the Wigan Post: “I have enough time in the summer to look at and work out. Everything is open.”
Kortney Hause (at Watford from Aston Villa – age 27, 2 starts, 1 sub)
Sidelined with a serious knee injury since November, Watford weren’t able to terminate his loan agreement but left him out of their 25-man squad post-January as medics disputed the best course of action.
Then Watford manager Slaven Bilic said in February: “I’m gutted for him and for us. He is also gutted about this, don’t get me wrong. He was going to be one of our main men who would help us go back to the Premier League, and I haven’t seen him play at all.”
Returned to Villa soon afterwards to continue rehabilitation.
Clinton Mola (at Blackburn from Stuttgart – age 22, 1 starts, 3 sub)
A tough time at Blackburn, where he has played regularly for the under-21s, and Jon Dahl Tomasson won’t trigger a 2m euros purchase clause.
The Lancashire Telegraph reports: “Stuttgart, battling to avoid relegation from the Bundesliga 12 months after promotion, are said to be considering the future of the defender amid the prospect of a squad overhaul in the summer.
Luke Mbete (at Huddersfield from Manchester City – age 19, 3 starts, 3 sub)
Swapped Huddersfield and a Championship relegation fight for Bolton and a League One promotion challenge in January.
Bolton boss Ian Evatt said: “We’re light on central defenders and, in particular, left-footed central defenders. Luke ticks a lot of boxes we look for. He’s a really talented young player, part of the England Under-21 set-up, who’s excellent with the ball, athletic enough to cope and defend one-on-one in large spaces.
“He’s played for Manchester City, which probably speaks volumes for how highly they rate him. He went to Huddersfield earlier this season where he didn’t perform to his full potential, but part of our transfer policy really is to look for players that have a point to prove.
“After having a loan that didn’t really go to plan for him, he wants to come here and show everybody how good he is. We think what we do suits him and vice-versa, so we’re looking forward to working with him.”
Who would you like at Stoke? Have your say in the comments section
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