Stoke City Set To Fend Off International Competition For Defender

After a rather flat season which saw Stoke City finish in 17th in the Championship table, far better will be expected ahead of the forthcoming season.

It’s set to be the seventh season without Premier League football for the Potters who have got rather used to mid-table obscurity in recent times. There is however hope for the future and the club are going about their business rather strongly this summer.

They’ve already signed goalkeeper Viktor Johansson from Rotherham United, beating a number of fellow Championship sides in the process and it’s expected to be a busy few months for Steven Schumacher and his recruitment team.

Under the aforementioned Schumacher, improvements were seen and although they weren’t exactly vast ones, given time the manager could be very successful at the club. Having been mightily impressive at Plymouth Argyle before joining the Potters, the manager will be hoping to really implement his play style after having somewhat of a summer clear out.

With plenty of new additions expected, it’s perhaps a slight surprise that only one new face has been signed but it seems as if they’re not too far off of another.

The Stoke Sentinel have reported that Stoke currently lead the race to sign former Norwich City defender Ben Gibson, who is now a free agent following his release. A mainstay in the Canaries back line, Gibson was perhaps a surprise omission from their retained list.

However with Norwich reportedly wanting to decrease their average squad age, the 31-year-old was deemed surplus to the requirements. With 37 Championship appearances to his name this term, the former Middlesbrough standout continues to display his qualities in the second tier.

A move to Stoke looks to be on the cards, but they are not the only ones monitoring Gibson currently. The same outlet reports that clubs from the United States are also displaying an interest, but it is the Potters who are in pole position to land the defender.

With a plethora of experience in both the Championship as well as the Premier League, Gibson knows what it takes to be in a side chasing promotion, and could help Stoke to do that next season.

Writer’s View

Improvements are no doubt expected from Steven Schumacher and his players next term and they’re required if they want to really kick on. They seem to be going about their business in the right way and with Schumacher at the helm, there’s certainly hope for the future.

Gibson has displayed his qualities as a Championship defender and despite now being 31, had yet another strong season. His experience will count for a lot and he’d certainly help some of the younger players in the squad to progress.

It’s hard to predict where the Potters will finish next season given their recent performances in the Championship but perhaps the forthcoming season is their opportunity to put a serious play-off challenge together.

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