Stoke City boss Mark Robins has only less than two weeks remaining to make deals for the rest of the season.
Stoke City is now three weeks into the January transfer window, with a lot of changes but no major first signings.
The month began with the appointment of Mark Robins as manager on New Year’s Day, as well as two new assistants, Paul Nevin and James Rowberry. Dean Whitehead, the former Stoke midfielder who had returned as first-team coach under Narcis Pelach, departed following a respectable 0-0 draw at Burnley.
Robins’ first move to alter the squad he inherited was to recall Lewis Baker from what was supposed to be a season-long loan at Blackburn Rovers, which would have taken him to the conclusion of his Stoke contract. He returned to the starting lineup for an FA Cup third-round victory over Sunderland.
Nathan Lowe, the 19-year-old striker, has also returned after an outstanding loan spell at Walsall, and England youth keeper Tommy Simkin, 20, who has also been impressing on loan as Walsall march towards the League Two title, has returned to train under the new regime in order to make his debut.
Lowe has been linked with a return to League One by Rotherham and Huddersfield, but he will be in Stoke’s squad for this afternoon’s Championship match against West Brom.
However, Stoke have lost 11-goal striker Tom Cannon, as parent club Leicester triggered a loan recall in the penultimate hour before the deadline on Tuesday night. Stoke had to beat off stiff competition to recruit him last summer, and he was content to stay, but Leicester are expected to cash in immediately.Sheffield United, Sunderland, and Burnley have been most strongly related.
Stoke City have been connected with a move for Alex Timossi Andersson, a 22-year-old right wing-back from IF Brommapojkarna in Sweden. However, StokeonTrentLive believes this is not currently in the works.
There have been whispers of interest in Liverpool’s Jayden Danns, Ipswich attacker Ali Al Hamadi, Coventry forward Brandon Thomas-Asante, and Tottenham rookie playmaker Tyrese Hall.
At his pre-West Brom press conference, Robins stated, “We’re working hard with the players we have in the building and also trying to do something ourselves this January.”
“January, as I’ve previously stated, is a really, extremely difficult window, but everyone is working as hard as they can in an incredibly challenging market and at a restrictive period for the football club. We’re trying to make the best of it and find our way through.”
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