Potters manager Narcís Pelach believes his contacts can give Stoke City an advantage in the January transfer window, if he has the financial backing.
According to the Stoke Sentinel, the Spaniard has a ‘little black book’ full of winter transfer targets whose quality he hopes to recruit, but who would not ordinarily be persuaded to Staffordshire without the former Huddersfield manager in charge.
Pelach joined the club in mid-September, leaving his position as first-team coach at Norwich City, and this will be his first window in charge of his new squad.
In recent weeks, he is said to have held many meetings with sporting director Jon Walters and the larger recruitment staff, demonstrating his proactivity in the aftermath of an important winter window.
| Narcís Pèlach managerial history – All roles (as per Transfermarkt) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Role | Appointed | In charge until |
| Stoke City | Manager | Sep 18, 2024 | – |
| Norwich | Assistant Manager | May 31, 2023 | Sep 17, 2024 |
| Huddersfield | Caretaker | Feb 9, 2023 | Feb 15, 2023 |
| Huddersfield | Assistant Manager | Aug 12, 2020 | May 25, 2023 |
| Girona | Assistant Manager | Jul 1, 2019 | Jun 30, 2020 |
| CF Peralada | Manager | Jan 3, 2018 | Jun 30, 2019 |
| UE Figueres | Manager | Jul 1, 2015 | |
Walters added that his European counterpart had been bringing some nice names to the table, with Pelach himself adding that targets include players who are ‘currently in a better division than the Championship’.
Pèlach has ‘lots of names from Spain’
Speaking with the Stoke Sentinel, the Potters manager discussed his compulsory need to study players, a near-obsessive drive to have a deeper understanding of the quality, value, and potential of players both at the club and outside. He stated, “I appreciate seeing players, and I enjoy this aspect of the game as well. I like evaluating players. We do it with our players and staff after each game.
We assigned a score of zero to four to each player, with two indicating a normal performance, four indicating a very good performance, and zero indicating an extremely poor performance. You can also set the value to 0.5 or 0.75.
“We appreciate doing that with the personnel. We write a description, we analyse each player, and we meet for a couple of hours to chat about each individual so that when we do the reviews, we are all on the same page and can make fair lineups.
“Then I do the same with guys I see on other teams; I’ve been doing it for five years, and I have a long list of names from Spain and other nations. Spanish players are another market, and they are more affordable than British players. That’s a small advantage for us!
“There are players we may not be able to pay right now, but I understand that not everything is about money, and there are players that want to come to Stoke City from better divisions than the Championship.
“I’ll talk to them, and I’ll attempt to bring them if possible. Not everything is about money. We can do things creatively, and we must try since financial constraints are ineffective. There are numerous teams with money, therefore we must find a creative solution.
” It’s an exciting time for Stoke City fans on Stanley Matthews Way, as their new manager has made no secret of his desire to boost the club’s recruitment potential through his experience and Spanish football contacts.
Exciting times for supporters on Stanley Matthews Way, as their new boss was not discreet in his intent to propel Stoke City’s recruitment potential with his knowledge and Spanish football connections.
Pèlach can clearly pick out a gem at this level
While without context, this could be interpreted as an empty promise or even hallucination, Pèlach has proof of his ability to spot diamonds in the rough.
During his time at Norwich City, the Catalan coach noticed Borja Sainz as an underappreciated possibility.
The winger, who has 15 goals in 18 games and is the leading candidate for EFL Player of the Season, was hiding out at lowly Turkish club Giresunspor, who had recently been relegated to the country’s second level.
Pèlach, who was in charge of coaching the attack at Carrow Road, insisted on Sainz’s departure, despite prior attempts to sign the winger. “I also wanted him in Huddersfield, so we tried to broker a deal.
But we couldn’t make it in the end, and we arrived in Norwich. He’s a fantastic player, a great person, and we have a lot of affection for one another,” he said.
This type of scouting and understanding, particularly in the rich market of Spain’s lower leagues, represents a genuine and enormous advantage for Stoke City in future transfer windows.
While it’s no easy task, if anyone can persuade undervalued talent to leave sunny Spain for so-so Staffordshire, it’s their new manager.
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