Aston Villa starlet signs: Identifying 3 ideal Wouter Burger replacements for Stoke City if he leaves | OneFootball

Stoke City have unearthed a gem in Wouter Burger, and face a tough task keeping hold of him in the upcoming transfer window.

The centre midfielder was signed from FC Basel last August for a fee of around £4.3m and has had a successful debut season in the Potteries, alerting clubs around English football to the possibility of signing him this summer.

City do not want to lose their star man, but will reportedly accept bids of around £12m if they come in with Tottenham Hotspur, Sheffield United and two other unnamed sides in the Premier League interested in securing his services, according to TeamTalk.

That would leave a huge gap in Stoke's midfield that needs filling, and they could use the money from his departure to bring in a ready-made replacement.

With that said, here are three players that we think Stoke should target if Burger leaves the club...

Tim Iroegbunam

Aston Villa youngster Tim Iroegbunam would undoubtedly be a coup for Stoke, and almost certainly only available on loan, at least for this summer.

The 20-year-old has long been held in high regard as one for the future, and is beginning to prove his talent by breaking into the Villa squad, making 15 appearances in all competitions in 2023/24 and winning the belief of boss Unai Emery.

He has also previously shone on loan at QPR in 2022/23, making 32 league appearances, but may find competition for places too tough at Villa in the upcoming season as they embark on a first Champions League campaign in 41 years.

Some more new faces in Unai Emery's midfield would likely allow Iroegbunam to leave on loan, and Stoke should seriously consider an approach if Burger leaves - the England U20 international is an aggressive, energetic midfielder with high potential that could thrive alongside a more experienced operator like Josh Laurent, as he did at QPR with Stefan Johansen.

At Loftus Road, he proved 'adept at anticipation-based defending, confident in stepping in front of opposing midfielders and recovering the ball quickly,' which is very similar to Burger's Stoke role under Alex Neil and Steven Schumacher - he also stands at six foot tall, not too far off the Dutchman's 6'3 frame.

Stoke have shown their willingness to dip into the domestic loan market for young midfielders in recent years with the likes of Gavin Kilkenny, Luke Cundle and Will Smallbone, so if Iroegbunam is available, he could be a realistic and exciting acquisition for the Potters this summer.

Alan Browne

29-year-old Browne is an elder statesman in the Championship nowadays, but still has a lot to offer to any club as he reportedly seeks an exit from Preston North End after eleven years at the club.

Browne was linked with a move away from Deepdale in January, is out of contract this summer and looks unlikely to sign any new deal being offered to him by the Lilywhites - so any second-tier side that needs a central midfielder should definitely be interested in his signature.

According to fbref, Browne was the fourth-most similar midfielder stats-wise to Burger in the Championship for 2023/24, and Steven Schumacher will certainly be aware of his qualities with Browne playing under his close friend and former Plymouth colleague Ryan Lowe since 2021.

The Ireland international would be a good fit off the pitch too - he currently earns £10,000 per week, according to Capology, which would be easily affordable for the Potters with some of their highest earners reportedly around the £20,000 mark.

Browne is a traditional number six that likes to have a lot of the ball, draw fouls and intercept passes - he could give City's attack-minded midfielders like Bae Jun-ho and Lewis Baker a lot more freedom to attack with him just in front of the defence - and he also possesses great leadership qualities after holding the PNE captaincy for the last four years.

It certainly seems like a good match if Burger leaves, but Stoke would have to act fast with both Coventry City and Sheffield United also reportedly interested, according to Alan Nixon.

Kylian Kaïboué

Kylian Kaiboue currently plays for Amiens SC of Ligue 2, after joining from SC Bastia last summer on a three-year deal.

The 25-year-old is extremely versatile, turning out at left back, centre back and left wing throughout his career, but was a key player in defensive midfield this past season as Les Licornes finished eighth in the second-tier, their highest finish since relegation in 2019/20.

He made 31 league appearances in 2023/24, with 16 of those at the base of midfield, and has been highlighted as the fourth-most similar player to Burger when comparing him to midfielders from the top 14 men's world leagues in the last 365 days, according to fbref.

Kaiboue's main strength has previously been described as his 'ability to recover the ball high on the pitch (and) create immediate danger through passes into the final third,' and he is a player that does 'not shy away from duels.'

He is in the 97th percentile for tackles won, dribblers challenged and dribblers tackled per 90, as well as the 93rd percentile for progressive carrying distance per 90 when compared to midfielders in the men's top 14 leagues over the last 365 days on fbref.

Transfermarkt currently values the Frenchman at €1.00m, but that figure is likely to be slightly higher if a sale was to happen, given his age and impressive season in Ligue 2.

It is definitely possible that Stoke will look abroad for a new midfield general, as they did when Burger was initially signed, with his possible sale a sign of how recruitment from Europe can result in huge profit margins - and Kaiboue could be their man if they do not go down the domestic route.