Stoke City have done decent business this January. While the permanent move for Lee Grant was a no brainer considering the performances he has put in for the club, Saido Berahino’s arrival will be a much-needed shot in the arm as he has a good record in the top flight and could be a pretty shrewd addition to the club even though they paid hefty money for him. However, they are unlikely to stop at that.
Being dumped out of the FA Cup was, in fact, a blessing in disguise and the Potters have done really well since beating Watford and holding Manchester United at home. Although Hughes has a good set of players in his attacking third, a huge problem has been his playmaker’s role. Joe Allen has been brilliant at times and with Xherdan Shaqiri alongside, Stoke City have produced some fabulous attacks in patches. But, the manager has absolutely no back-up to play in their absence.
With the league becoming more hectic as the season progresses, Hughes is looking to add more depth to the attacking areas. And according to reports, the boss is eyeing a move for Dynamo Kiev winger Andriy Yarmolenko. The 27-year-old has been linked with a move to England for several years now but nothing has materialised.
However, according to The Sun, the Ukrainian side are now willing to listen to offers for the player and Premier League sides like Everton, Stoke City and Tottenham are all keen to land him. A right winger by nature, Yarmolenko can play on the left wing as well and could be really effective from his inward runs.
He has been a prolific goal scorer from wings, plundering 29 goals in 67 international caps for Ukraine and has played in over 300 games for Kiev. He has scored four goals this season already in the domestic league has three assists in Champions League.
Yarmolenko is undoubtedly a significant player for Kiev and given that they want only £9m for the attacker, a late move in the transfer window is expected before Tuesday. However, his hefty wages could be a big problem for Stoke City to afford. Kiev currently pays him £100,000-a-week and that has put off some of his potential suitors across Europe.
However, given the cheap price tag for a winger who is in the prime of his career, we expect Mark Hughes to make a move for the player. Persuading him would, however, be a difficult task as he has spent his entire career in Ukraine to date.
