5 players that must be on Stoke City's transfer radar - Ki-Jana Hoever re-signs | OneFootball

Stoke City will need to make improvements to their current squad after a disappointing 2023/24 campaign.

Plymouth boss Steven Schumacher arrived at the bet365 Stadium in December after Alex Neil was sacked following a run of seven games without a win and wasted no time in stamping his own mark on the Stoke team, with former Plymouth players Luke Cundle and Niall Ennis, Leicester goalkeeper Daniel Iversen and Vitesse winger Million Manhoef arriving either on loan or permanently in the Potteries in the January transfer window.

Stoke have six first-team players out of contract in July, with five loanees set to return to their parent clubs, so it is set to be another summer of change despite the club signing 19 players under Neil last year.

The club will certainly want to improve on a season that only saw them confirm safety in their penultimate game, after beating Southampton 1-0 on April 27.

With this in mind, these are FIVE players that we believe the Potters should be monitoring ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

Ki Jana Hoever

Right-back Ki-Jana Hoever has divided opinion during his stay in the Potteries, after initially arriving on loan from Wolves in January 2023.

He became a regular starter in the 2022/23 campaign under Alex Neil, and returned to Stoke last summer on a season-long loan after a six-month spell.

Hoever became an important player for the Potters as they looked to stave off the drop in the last few months, netting important goals against Hull City, Huddersfield Town and Plymouth Argyle and laying on assists against West Bromwich Albion and Southampton.

His defensive abilities have been questioned by sections of the Stoke support at times, but his attacking output has proved invaluable in a season where the Potters have struggled for goals, and it would be seen as a real coup to secure him on a permanent deal.

The talents Hoever possesses from right-back are tough to replicate at Championship level, so Steven Schumacher would no doubt love to hold on to the former-Liverpool youngster.

The only stumbling block would likely be the price that Wolves demand for the 22-year-old - he is not out of contract at Molineux until 2026, and they paid £9m for him just four years ago.

Viktor Johansson

The Potters will need a goalkeeper this summer as current number-one Daniel Iversen returns to parent club Leicester, and they should be looking no further than Swedish international Viktor Johansson.

Despite being relegated from the Championship with Rotherham United this season, Johansson has impressed in between the sticks during his time at the New York Stadium since joining from Leicester in 2020.

He kept 13 clean sheets as they avoided the drop in 2022/23, and was voted Players' Player of the Year for his exploits throughout that campaign.

He is one of the few Millers' players that hold real transfer value after their torrid 2023/24 season, and they are likely to look to sell him before he loses any value with his contract ending in 2025.

Stoke have already been linked to the 25-year-old in recent weeks, and he is believed to have a £750,000 relegation clause in his Rotherham contract.

They will not be alone in their pursuit of the Swedish stopper, after Leeds United and Sheffield United were reported to be interested and Rotherham boss Steve Evans admitted that there would be "huge interest" in his services.

Charlie Cresswell

Leeds United centre-back Charlie Cresswell has found playing-time hard to come by under Daniel Farke, and Stoke could offer regular first-team football to the 21-year-old next season.

Cresswell only signed a new four-year contract last summer, but has fallen down the Whites' pecking order at centre-back behind the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Liam Cooper and Pascal Strujik.

He is unlikely to figure in any possible Premier League plans for Leeds next season, so plenty of second-tier clubs will be on high alert to Cresswell's situation this summer, especially with his previous experience in the Championship following a successful loan spell at Millwall in the 2022/23 season.

The Potters are going to be in the market for players in his position, with Luke McNally's return to parent club Burnley leaving Schumacher with Michael Rose and Ben Wilmot as his only in-contract centre-back options for next season.

Cresswell is strong in the air and a good passer, both key qualities for a centre-back in Schumacher's attacking, front-foot style that he wishes to implement in his new-look squad for next season.

He also has family ties to the Potters, with dad Richard playing 83 times for the club from 2007 to 2010 and achieving promotion to the Premier League in 2008.

Sam McCallum

Another defender in this list certainly highlights some immediate issues for Steven Schumacher to address, and Sam McCallum could be the perfect option as he nears the end of his contract at Norwich City.

The left-back joined the Canaries in January 2020 for a reported fee of £3.5m from Coventry City, but was loaned back to the Sky Blues for the remainder of that season and then again for the whole of the 2020/21 season - playing over 80 times for the club across his three spells.

He spent the 2021/22 season on loan at QPR, and has since forced himself into the Norwich squad for the last two campaigns after they were relegated from the Premier League.

He has been used in rotation with Dimitris Giannoulis under David Wagner this season, but has found himself a regular towards the end of the campaign after the Greek international picked up a hamstring injury.

It is all to play for at Carrow Road as Norwich enter the play-offs, and McCallum's future likely hinges on whether the club secure promotion or stay in the Championship - with a new contract less likely if they are in the Premier League.

This would leave clubs open to swoop for the 23-year-old, and Stoke should certainly be one keeping tabs on any young, defensive, left-sided talents with an eye for getting forward, especially with the club having no in-contract left-backs past this season.

Steven Schumacher likes his full-backs to attack, and statistics show that McCallum would definitely be a good fit in his team - this season he is in the 80th percentile when compared to Championship full-backs for Expected Assisted Goals (xAG), and in the 82nd percentile for Key Passes when compared to Championship full-backs, according to fbref.

Leicester City striker Tom Cannon has struggled for game-time this season, and may find himself playing even less if he sticks around with the Foxes in the Premier League next season.

He joined for a reported fee of £7.5m last summer from Everton, but Cannon has had little part to play in their success this season due to competing for places with the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho, Patson Daka and veteran Jamie Vardy.

The 21-year-old has been restricted to playing a bit-part role, and could seek a loan exit from the King Power Stadium with Championship clubs likely ready to fight for his signature.

He netted eight goals in 20 appearances on loan at Preston North End in 2022/23, and with another season of experience under his belt, would be a major boost to the Potters' striking ranks after they severely flattered to deceive in front of goal this season.