Stoke City defender Harry Souttar is set to join Fleetwood Town on a season-long loan deal as reported by Football Insider.
Reporter Pete O’Rourke understands that a deal has been agreed for the Australia international to return to Highbury. The twenty-year-old enjoyed an impressive loan spell with Joey Barton’s men in the second half of last season, making eleven League One appearances.
A Football Insider source at Stoke has told them Souttar turned down nine other clubs in favour of a return to the Lancashire coast.
The central defender joined Stoke from Dundee United in 2016 but has so far made only two first-team appearances for the club in the EFL Cup. Nonetheless, he is highly thought of in the Potteries and signed a new four and a half year deal with the club in January 2018.
The report suggests Stoke boss Nathan Jones sanctioned the move to allow Souttar more first-team experience in the hope he will return and push for a first-team place at the bet365 Stadium.
Our View
O’Rourke is usually pretty reliable, so we expect this one will happen.
If it does, it will be a fantastic signing for the Cod Army and further enhance their League One play-off credentials for next season.
Souttar is a quality defender who really impressed the Cod Army last season.
He’s aggressive in the air and comfortable with the ball at his feet and is a fantastic prospect.
Fleetwood have done very well to get him with rumours League One rivals Portsmouth once saw the youngster as a potential replacement for Matt Clarke.
