Former Stoke City Favourite Linked With Top Flight Move

After finishing 17th in the Championship this season, next year will be the seventh season without Premier League football for Stoke City.

They’ve been used to mid-table obscurity since joining the second tier and are yet to have finished above 14th. It seems like quite a time since they were mainstays in the top flight and going off of recent performances, there could still be some wait.

There is at least some hope for fans with improvements expected under new manager Steven Schumacher. Adding to that, they also found their new first-choice goalkeeper, that being Viktor Johansson who they signed from Rotherham United on Saturday.

The Swedish international is expected to be the club’s next great long-term goalkeeper and brings bundles of potential with him. He’s however not the only goalkeeper with Stoke links who could be on the move this summer, with former ‘keeper Asmir Begovic potentially leaving Queens Park Rangers if terms are not agreed for a new contract.

Begovic has been a mainstay in the QPR team this season and has captained the side throughout the year. Despite now being 36 years-of-age, the Bosnian international has proved that he still has plenty of quality.

It’s been a long time since Begovic has played for Stoke almost ten years in fact, but he’ll be fondly remembered by Potters fans. Making 160 appearances for the club, Begovic was a mainstay during their successful spell in the Premier League where they’d establish themselves as a mid-table side.

After leaving Stoke, he’d continue to apply his trade in the top flight, first with Chelsea prior to moves to Bournemouth and Everton.

The 36-year-old has today been linked with a move back to one of his former clubs with Alan Nixon reporting via his Patreon that Bournemouth are interested in the ‘keeper.

It’s highly likely that the Bosnian will be a back-up, but as he’s shown this season, he still retains plenty of ability and has a whole host of experience at the top level.

Writer’s View

Given his exploits for QPR this season it would come as a potential surprise if Begovic wasn’t to return to Loftus Road. However it does all depend on the type of goalkeeper that Marti Cifuentes wants in and now being 36, he’s not exactly the long- term option for the club.

It’s unlikely that Begovic would start in the top flight for any side these days but experience does count for a lot and he’d certainly be beneficial to a younger ‘keeper’s growth.

The Potters haven’t really had a consistent enough goalkeeper ever since Jack Butland left which rather contradicts the times prior when Begovic and then the aforementioned Butland enjoyed long stints in the team. They may have found their man in the form of Johansson and if he’s able to have half as good of a career with the club that the Bosnian did, then he could be a very decent pick-up.

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