Stoke City are in the market for a new midfielder this summer after news emerged that Josh Laurent could be on his way out of the club, according to the latest reports.
Laurent has one year remaining on his contract with the Potters which has piqued the interest of several clubs in England and abroad, including Birmingham City. Nevertheless, TeamTALK revealed on Tuesday that Stoke have accepted a bid from Turkish outfit Sivasspor for the former Queens Park Rangers man.
However, Football Insider published a report shortly afterwards stating that Laurent himself has turned down a move to Sivasspor. Furthermore, the outlet are claiming that he is happy to bide his time and wait for an offer which suits him.
The 29-year-old was an important player last season under Alex Neil and later, Steven Schumacher. The Englishman made 40 appearances in the middle of the park in all competitions for Stoke City, scoring three goals and recording three assists.
While the club endured a difficult campaign and battled relegation, Laurent was still a key player and would be missed in the centre of the pitch should he leave this summer. As a result, the recruitment department have already begun eyeing up possible replacements, one of which was relegated to League Two with Fleetwood Town last season.
Football Insider have reported that Stoke are weighing up a move for Celtic star Bosun Lawal who spent the entirety of the previous campaign on loan at Highbury Stadium as the Cod Army suffered a dismal relegation down to the fourth tier. However, the report states that Premier League side Bournemouth are also keeping tabs on his situation with the Glasgow giants.
The Potters are not the only Championship side interested in signing the Irishman this summer. The Scottish Sun revealed back in May that Queens Park Rangers, Derby County and Portsmouth had also placed Lawal on their shopping list. The player currently has a market value of £250,000, as per Transfermarkt, although it’s unlikely that Celtic will allow him to leave on a permanent basis.
Nevertheless, journalist Alan Nixon added that Celtic won’t let Lawal go until head coach Brendan Rodgers looks at him in pre-season.
Writer’s View
Lawal earned tremendous experience last season with Fleetwood in League One. Despite starting slowly as a central defender, he was eventually converted into a midfielder and flourished, oftentimes looking too good for the Lancashire side.
It would not be surprising to see him sent out on loan to a Championship team this time, and Stoke City could be the perfect destination, particularly since Laurent will likely leave the Bet365 Stadium before the transfer window closes next month. Lawal could replace Laurent in the midfield, albeit just for next season.
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