It looks like Stoke City are about to make their first signing in Kostas Stafylidis, a left-back who plays for Bundesliga club, FC Augsburg. A loan deal is expected to be confirmed within 24 hours and the Greek international should expect to feature for the club’s Premier League fixture against Huddersfield Town on Saturday.
A product of the PAOK FC youth setup, Kostas has primarily shown with his performances in Germany. Having impressed scouts in the 2012 UEFA European U19 Championships, he signed with Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2012. He barely ever featured for the side’s first team and was sent out on loan to EFL Championship side Fulham where he really shone as a youngster.
With 44 performances for the Lillywhites, Stafylidis had already found his feet in top flight football and was eager to return to Germany and resume his run of form for The Company XI. But it was Augsburg who really had noticed his development and came forward with a £2.2m bid. Stafylidis’ career immediately took an upward trajectory with his remarkable display in 2016/17 season. He led the side from the left flank and was a huge threat in dead ball situations. He is a set-piece specialist with a tireless work ethic at the back.
But it looks like the 24-year-old spark has burned out and is no longer a top pick under Manuel Baum. Kostas has registered a measly 31 minutes of game time this season and a move was imminent.
This definitely brings around some sort of change to the bet365 stadium where fans have been left in despair over what they have witnessed in the last 6 months. The Potters had already started off the season poorly but it things took a turn for the worse over the Christmas period with the side falling down to the relegation zone. With just 2 wins in their last 10 league fixtures, it looked like the side was doomed under Mark Hughes up until the manager finally faced the axe.
Now manager, Paul Lambert is motivated to put the team back on the map and escape a gruesome relegation to the Championship, something which has not happened since their promotion in 2008.
Erik Pieters has been the first choice to appear on the left flank but the 29-year-old lacks a certain amount of pace and attacking threat going forward. In the modern game, fullbacks are delegated with responsibilities on both ends of the pitch, something, Kostas is very skilled at.
