"Just what we need" - Stoke City told to sign out-of-contract West Brom playmaker this summer | OneFootball

John Swift has been picked out as a potential free signing by our Potters fan pundit

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Stoke City have been told to sign West Bromwich Albion midfielder John Swift when his contract at The Hawthorns expires at the end of the season to add some nous to their ranks ahead of next term.

Swift has been a regular in the second tier for years now but looks set to leave the Baggies in a few months' time for a new challenge at 30 years old.

An attacking midfielder by trade, he began his professional career at Chelsea, then moved permanently to Reading in 2016 following loan spells with Rotherham United, Swindon Town and Brentford.

He was a key man for the Royals and became one of the most notable players in his position across six seasons in the Championship before a move to West Brom in 2022. Swift has since featured over 115 times for the club, while moving to a deeper role in the middle of the park, but has struggled to nail down a starting position this season.

Stoke fan pundit identifies John Swift as potential free signing this summer

Swift's best season with the Baggies so far was his first at the club, as he missed just one league game all campaign and registered six goals and nine assists from those 45 appearances.

His influence waned somewhat in the second-half of last season, but he still ended 2023/24 with nine goals and one assist from 37 outings. The 29-year-old has become increasingly less important to the Albion over the last 12 months and has only started 14 times in the Championship this term, with the likes of Alex Mowatt and Isaac Price preferred in midfield.

Stoke are no strangers to exploring the free transfer market, as their recent financial struggles have seen them pursue players that are out of contract more often than not each summer.

Our Potters fan pundit, Daniel Buxton, has identified Swift as a possible pick-up for Mark Robins' side in the summer, after we asked him to name one Championship player who is out of contract in June that his club should be eyeing up a move for.

“I think John Swift could be that perfect ‘experienced with creativity and Championship knowhow, been there and done it, just what we need’ signing for next season,” Daniel told FLW.

“We could have a complete revamp of the midfield. It’s quite likely that we lose Wouter Burger and possibly Bae Jun-ho.

“We’ve also got Jordan Thompson out of contract and Lewis Baker too, so somebody like Swift might just come in and give us something to work around next season in midfield.”

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Stoke City could sign John Swift amid a potential midfield shake-up in the summer

Stoke's Championship status is far from secure for another campaign as yet, so boss Mark Robins will be focusing on keeping his side in the second tier over the next few months before his concentration turns to a vital summer of incomings and outgoings.

The Potters are pretty well-stacked in the middle of the park right now, but as aforementioned, that could all change ahead of next season. Key man Burger was reportedly close to a move to FC Midtjylland at the end of the January window, and while nothing materalised, he could well be on his way in the summer regardless if he keeps up his impressive form over the coming months.

Baker was recalled from his loan spell at Blackburn Rovers by Robins last month to feature once again for Stoke, so his future at the club is, at least, in his own hands before his contract ends in June. He is probably the most similar player to Swift in the Potters' current squad, in both age and profile, so a potential move for the Baggies' playmaker could well hinge on the ex-Chelsea man's situation.

Loanee attacking midfielder Andrew Moran will also return to his parent club Brighton at the end of the campaign, with a permanent return to the Potteries unlikely, while Northern Ireland international Jordan Thompson looks set to move on with his contract expiring after five years in ST4.

With that in mind, Stoke are clearly going to be in the market for new midfield additions ahead of 2025/26. Any move for Swift would definitely depend on the club being in the Championship, and if they are, then a potential free transfer switch does seem realistic.