Stoke City have been highly erratic this season, experiencing more of a bumpy ride so far. While at times, they have sailed through opponents with relative ease, there have been occasions when they were totally outplayed.
Mark Hughes has the biggest luxury in his brilliant midfield core. It contains some solid attacking and holding midfielders, who could provide a gem of a pass or defend with equal tightness. But, where Stoke have suffered immensely is in their options up front. Without the quality finishing, the midfielder’s hard work hasn’t had the final rewards.
The only quality striker they have is Manchester City loanee Wilfred Bony. Peter Crouch has aged and nearing retirement while Mame Diouf has been highly inconsistent and was never a 15-goal striker anyway.
Here are 3 strikers, Stoke City should target this winter to improve their chances of moving up the league table in the second half of the season.
Daniel Sturridge
At 27, Sturridge is by far the most experienced player in Liverpool’s striking options. He has plenty of experience in the Premier League having played for Manchester City and Chelsea before moving to Anfield and those years will come with their own advantage. He knows the ins and outs of most teams in the league and could be a good option for Stoke City against any kind of opposition.
Having scored 58 goals in 107 games for Liverpool in his career, Sturridge rates better than a goal every two games which is phenomenal considering the league in which he plays. He is one of the best strikers in England and is a player who can create and take chances under pressure. He is a natural finisher who knows his way around goal and also has a great understanding of the game. He loves to play off the last defender making intelligent runs into the final third which creates space for his midfielders.
Łukasz Teodorczyk
Teodorczyk has always been a prolific striker throughout his career but his spell with Anderlecht this season stood out and made everyone take notice. Belgian Pro League is quite a competitive league and we have seen plenty of players graduating from that league and making a big name for themselves.
A strong and physical striker, Teodorczyk hardly gets outmuscled by defenders which will help his cause in the Premier League. He does have a good pace in his locker and tries to beat the defensive line. The Polish attacker excels in the air and has won an average of 3.8 aerial duels this season in the Europa League. He is easily the fit version of Andy Carroll who has tasted success in front of goal whenever he has been fit.
Moussa Marega
Scouted heavily by both Tottenham and Liverpool, Moussa Marega is an ideal striker for Stoke City, who possesses the strength and height of a forward as Stoke like it. The FC Porto hitman is currently on loan at Vitoria de Guimaraes.
Marega has impressed this season by scoring 10 goals already in the league and also bagging 2 assists in 10 appearances. The 183 cm forward could prove to be a decent aerial threat in the Stoke City squad, who otherwise lack tall players up front.
Marega’s stamina could be a huge asset for the team’s playing style. Stoke City mostly play on the counter, and the need for their strikers to work hard is imperative. Marega likes to tackle and chase defenders, which puts him in a superior position than Diouf.
