Stoke City Fan View: 3 things we've learned during the transfer window so far
Stoke City blogger Tomos Knox assesses the Potters' activity when it comes to buying and selling players in the summer of 2016
Mark Hughes is fearless in pursuit
By the signing of sought-after Joe Allen, Hughes gave the impression of a manager completely undaunted by pressure from other clubs, and seemed devoted to getting his man. Despite reported interest from Spanish club Sevilla, Manchester United and Allen’s old club, Swansea, the Potters’ £13 million offer held out; an ambitious move that reaped a precious reward. It's refreshing and exciting to see Hughes’ transfer negotiations paying off.
While previous signings such as Bojan, Imbula and Shaqiri have previously shown Hughes’ ability to take great players from under the noses of - arguably – larger clubs, Allen is a big name. Being named in the Team of the Tournament in Euro 2016 is no mean feat, and for Hughes to succeed in bringing him to the Bet365 Stadium suggests a great deal about the Potters manager’s ambitions.
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Youth may be the way forward
Stoke's squad is old, there's no doubt about that. Aside from the infrequently-appearing examples of Ollie Shenton and Jakob Haugaard, and star goalkeeper Jack Butland, the Potters have very few players under the age of 25. It's a real problem, because although age and experience can seem synonymous, Stoke haven't had a youngster burst onto the scene in quite a while, now, and the lack of youth is quite telling in the way that Stoke play their football. Sometimes, a young, fresh footballer can create the biggest difference of all, but mostly of all: gives a team freedom and excitement.
Ramadan Sobhi is a fantastic young forward. He could well prove to become one of the best signings made by Stoke City in the last decade. His intuitive ability to split defences open with one, masterful run. His talented bursts, capped off by lightning-quick footwork and finishing. If starting regularly in a few senior Egyptian national side containing Arsenal's Elneny and Roma's Salah is anything to go by, Sobhi is a force to be reckoned with. In Egypt, it's believed that the Potters have the cream of African footballing talent on their hands.
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Hughes believes that his side is strong enough to challenge
A lack of sales has been evident so far, with Stoke managing to hang on to the likes of Marko Arnautovic, but also not looking to remove players with lesser roles. From this, it seems relatively clear that Mark Hughes is content with his band of footballers and isn't necessarily looking to move many on.
The fact that only two signings have been made also indicates that Hughes isn't in a rush to make additions. However, it's worth taking into consideration that he may be waiting for August, and the late, discount deals that will undoubtedly ensue.
Either way, while some Stoke supporters reacted to the initial lack of new arrivals with anxiety and frustration, many will now be happy with the signings of Joe Allen and Ramadan Sobhi, and will now feel content to let Hughes approach the transfer window with a laid-back and confident approach.
