Stoke City are preparing themselves for life in the Championship and they have already started taking big steps which will help them bounce back next season. They recently appointed Gary Rowett who guided Derby County to a playoff finish and the Stoke fans and board will hope that he can take a step further with this team.
The Potters can lose some of their key players and they will need to replace them in the transfer market if they want to get their way back in the Premier League. They have been linked with a move for West Bromwich Albion winger James McClean. Like the Potters, the Baggies also suffered the heartbreak of relegation and they will also be looking to rebuild their team from here onwards.
According to reports, the two teams are apart on the valuation of the player and Stoke might have to loosen their pocket if they want to land the 29-year-old winger. The Irishman went on to make 34 appearances last season and managed to get on the scoresheet just once. West Brom as a team failed to provide any moment of inspiration up front and they were extremely lacklustre in the attacking department.
Cardiff City, who ensured a promotion for the upcoming season, have also registered an interest in McClean and if they put a concrete offer on the table, they might pip over someone like Stoke as the Bluebirds are in the English topflight.
Stoke city can lose the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri, Jack Butland and Badou Ndiaye as these players are certainly going to attract interest from Premier League clubs. The Potters have already offloaded Ramadan Sobhi as he is set to join Huddersfield Town soon. They have also lost the services of Jese who was on loan from Paris Saint Germain.
Apart from Jean-Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, they don’t have any options in the left wing department and one can also expect the Cameroon international to play as a secondary striker for next season. So that leaves Stoke high and dry in the left wing role and signing an able winger is probably going to be a priority for them.
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McClean might not set the pitch on fire with his performances but he always puts in a good shift whenever he is on the field. He has gone on to represent Ireland 60 times and is an experienced bloke when it comes to English football. Being a Championship club, Stoke won’t be able to attract top talents and for that reason, they might have to go for McClean in the transfer market.
