Stoke City are edging closer to the loan signing of Leicester City goalkeeper Daniel Iversen, according to TEAMtalk.
The Potters have prioritised a new shotstopper this month, having suffered a blow in October when Mark Travers was recalled just three months into his season-long loan from AFC Bournemouth.
The 24-year-old had made 14 appearances for the Staffordshire club prior to returning to the south coast, when the Cherries were given permission to cut short his temporary deal at the bet365 Stadium following an injury to first-choice Neto. This left then-manager Alex Neil with just Jack Bonham as the only experienced goalkeeper within their squad.
Iversen looks set to leave the King Power Stadium this month after falling out of favour since the appointment of Enzo Maresca in the summer. The Dane replaced Danny Ward towards the end of last season, playing Leicester’s final 12 Premier League fixtures as they suffered relegation to the Championship.
The arrival of compatriot Mads Hermansen in the summer seemingly sealed his fate and he was linked with a move to Stoke prior to their acquisition of Travers in July. He remained at the 2016 Premier League champions but has made the matchday squad just twice in all competitions.
It appears the managerial change at Stoke hasn’t ended their initial interest in the player, with Steven Schumacher picking up from his predecessor. According to TEAMtalk, the two clubs are in advanced talks over a loan deal which could see the 26-year-old make the short move west until the end of the season.
Iversen does have experience in the second tier, having spent 18 months at Preston North End between 2021 and 2022. He made 71 appearances for the Lilywhites and won both the Players’ Player and Supporters Player of the Year awards for his performances in the 2021/22 season.
🏆 Congratulations to Daniel Iversen who has been named Player of the Year! 🤩
Fully deserved, Dan! 👏 #pnefc pic.twitter.com/hb9yVckuWP
— Preston North End FC (@pnefc) May 7, 2022
A deal is unlikely to be concluded before this weekend’s FA Cup clash with Brighton & Hove Albion, but Schumacher will be hoping he will be able to call on his services for the trip to Rotherham United – another of Iversen’s former clubs – on January 13th.
Writer’s View
It was obvious that Stoke would target a goalkeeper above all others this month after losing Travers in October and bringing in a player of Iversen’s quality will be a real boost to the manager. The Dane was fantastic during his spell at Preston North End and it’s surprising that he has been completely frozen out at Leicester, especially after ending last season as their number one.
It’s a move that suits all parties, with Iversen harbouring ambitions of his first international cap after appearing as an unused substitute in four of Denmark’s Nations League games in June.
Head of Writing
