According to reports, Premier League side Stoke City are weighing up a move for German international Serdar Tasci, who plays for Spartak Moscow. The centre half had come dangerously close to signing for Stoke’s competitors Southampton last winter before a deal fell through right at the last moment.
Stoke manager Mark Hughes has come under fire following the disastrous season that the Potters endured last campaign. Going into the season with some of the most experienced and proven lot in the Premier League, the English manager hardly managed to make any mark whatsoever. They ended the season with just 44 points, 10 ahead of Hull City who were the last side to get relegated.
The only positive from their season, which occurred very sporadically, was their defence. The likes of Ryan Shawcross and Bruno Martins Indi had pulled off solid displays at times against the toughest of sides in the league. However, the Dutch enforcer has returned to FC Porto following his loan stint and Hughes is left with a huge gap to fill.
Though the arrival of Darren Fletcher from West Bromwich Albion was a huge move by them, which strengthens their central midfield to a large extent, something Glenn Whelan failed to do last season, Stoke would need someone to guard the post alongside skipper Shawcross. And Tasci could be an interesting option.
At 30, the German does have the physical attributes to cope with the rigours of the Premier League. At 186cm, he is quite strong in aerial duels and doesn’t shy away from going into tackles. And having played at the top level for so many years is the exact option Stoke usually favour. He will play alongside Shawcross, if he decides to join, who is 29, reflecting Stoke’s dependency on aged and experienced legs.
As per reports, the player is priced at somewhere around £3 million, which makes him quite affordable for many Premier League clubs.
Although the Potters are still in talks with FC Porto in hopes of landing Indi, they have a backup ready in Kurt Zouma whom they have loaned in from Chelsea. And Tasci’s arrival could finally put them in the ambit of Europa League that they have eyes on for quite some time now.
Tasci started his career with Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart before Spartak Moscow took him in 2013. He had returned for a brief spell for Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich but could not manage to impress.
