Ashby in: 2 last gasp transfers Stoke City must consider before August 30th | OneFootball

FLW looks at two deals that the Potters could complete as the end of the window nears

Key Takeaways

Stoke City are undergoing a big summer of clear-outs and wise transfer decisions as they look to finally push on in the Championship this season.

Steven Schumacher is nearing the end of his first summer window as Potters boss and has seen eight new faces arrive at the club so far, with an onus on bringing in young, low-risk, high-reward players, either permanently or on loan, to bolster his squad for 2024/25.

Despite the numerous new arrivals, Stoke are still short in a few positions, notably right-back, centre-back and centre-forward, and time is now running out to bring in some more new faces with under a week left in the window.

With that said, FLW have picked out two last-gasp signings that the Potters should look to make with the season now underway and deadline day edging closer.

Harrison Ashby

Stoke have tried and failed in their pursuit of former loanee right-back Ki-Jana Hoever this summer, and so must turn their attention to other readily available options in that position, with a loan likely to provide competition to Junior Tchamadeu.

Harrison Ashby would be a solid signing for the Potters this week, given his potential, likely lack of game-time at current club Newcastle United, and recent second-tier experience on loan at Swansea City.

Ashby joined the West Ham Academy as a youngster and made his senior debut for the Hammers at age 18 in September 2020 in an EFL Cup game, then featured three times in the 2021/22 season for the Hammers' first-team, including a start in the Europa League and a first Premier League appearance in December 2021.

He joined Newcastle in January 2023 for a fee of around £3m, with his contract at the London Stadium due to expire that summer, but he did not feature for the Magpies' first-team in his debut campaign, and soon joined Swansea City on loan last August.

Ashby began life in South Wales well with a goal and assist in his first five league outings from right wing-back, but soon lost his place to the in-form Josh Key, and then picked up a hamstring injury which ruled him out for two months.

The 22-year-old returned to action for three successive starts in January, but then suffered a muscular problem and saw his season ended four months prematurely as he returned to Newcastle at the end of the campaign.

He has gone back to St James' Park with seemingly little future in Eddie Howe's side, with Kieran Trippier, Tino Livramento and Emil Krafth all ahead of him in the pecking order, and no European competition meaning they don't need as much depth as last season.

Ashby will surely be looking for an exit this week, either on loan or even on a permanent deal, and Stoke should look to bring him in to provide some much-needed quality and depth at right-back, with Tchamadeu their only senior option in that position as it stands.

The 22-year-old showed some great qualities, and boasted some standout statistics while with the Swans in the Championship last term, and would be a top addition for Steven Schumacher if he can stay fit this season.

Tim Lemperle

The Potters have been looking to add multiple strikers to their ranks this summer, but have only brought in Sam Gallagher from Blackburn so far, and need to step up their search with deadline day edging ever closer.

Schumacher is trying to improve on his strikers' poor goalscoring record last season, and FC Koln's Tim Lemperle could be the key front-man that the club has been looking for to come in and bag double figures in the Championship.

Germany youth international Lemperle has been with Koln since 2017, and was promoted to their first-team in 2020 as he made his Bundesliga debut at 18-years-old in June of the same year.

He began to play consistently with the senior side in the top-flight in 2021, and netted two Bundesliga goals in 13 games, but was unable to make a start in league or cup in the 2021/22 or 2022/23 seasons and so moved on loan to second-tier outfit Greuther Furth at the start of the last campaign.

The 22-year-old registered six goals and five assists in 32 games in all competitions for the Kleeblatter last season as they finished eighth, and his all-round performances saw him come out near the top of numerous statistics at the end of the campaign, when using FBref.

Lemperle was in the 99th percentile for progressive carries per 90, 96th percentile for completed passes that led to a shot attempt per 90, 87th percentile for shot-creating actions per 90 and 85th percentile for progressive passes per 90 when compared to other 2. Bundesliga forwards in 2023/24, so it is clear that he is more than competent at a similar level to the Championship, and could get even better if a club plays to his strengths and gives him ample opportunites, like Stoke would do.

It seems as if the likes of Tom Cannon, Jay Stansfield and Daniel Jebbison will not be Stoke players by the end of the window, despite respective links over the last few months, and so Stoke may begin to look abroad in the search for a number nine, and may already be with recent rumours of a potential move for Brisbane Roar striker Thomas Waddingham.

Lemperle would be a cheap, low-wage option to bring in to provide competition to the likes of Gallagher, Ryan Mmaee and Niall Ennis, and is more proven than Waddingham, so the Potters should look to bring him in as a last-gasp transfer this week for the season ahead.