"Be very careful" - Stoke City warned over potential £3m Wigan Athletic transfer raid | OneFootball

FLW's Stoke City fan pundit is excited about the prospect of signing Thelo Aasgaard but holds reservations about spending big money on him.

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 endured a rather inconsistent season so far, and they may be looking towards the January transfer window already in a bid to bolster their ranks.

The Potters started the season with Steven Schumacher in charge and won two of their first five league games, but to the surprise of many, he was relieved of his duties and was replaced by Norwich City coach Narcis Pelach days later.

Pelach lost his first two games in charge, but then pulled off an incredible 6-1 victory at home to Portsmouth, with Tom Cannon scoring four goals. This was then followed by a run of three draws and a loss to Sheffield United, as Stoke still search for some consistency.

This weekend, Pelach's Stoke side earned their first win in five league games as they picked up a 2-1 win over Paul Warne's Derby County. Tom Cannon opened the scoring from the penalty spot after nine minutes, but a Derby equaliser through a comical own goal made it anyone's game. Eventually, Stoke found their winner through Ben Gibson with 10 minutes to go.

Stoke clearly have a number of talented players in their squad, but they just need to find some consistency, otherwise it will unfortunately be another frustrating season for the Potters.

Before we know it though, January 2025 will be here, which will allow Stoke to add further quality to their squad, and one exciting name from League One is already being mentioned as a target.

Stoke City linked with swoop for Wigan Athletic playmaker Thelo Aasgaard

According to journalist, Alan Nixon via his patreon, Stoke are eyeing a move for Wigan Athletic star man, Thelo Aasgaard.

The Norway youth international has been a key individual for Wigan over the last couple of seasons, primarily playing as an attacking midfielder and chipping in with a number of goal contributions.

So far this season, Aasgaard has four goals to his name already in all competitions and has featured in all of Wigan's League One battles. Stoke City have made it clear that they are interested in the player as they have previously sent Jon Walters and Lee Darnborough to watch him in action.

Understandably, the attacking midfielder will come at a high cost as Stoke will be expected to pay around £3 million to secure his services, if they want him, and Wigan are totally justified in taking a firm stance as he is such an important asset to their team as they look to gain promotion from League One themselves.

Stoke City urged to approach with caution over any Thelo Aasgaard deal

There is no denying that Aasgaard has all the qualities of a fantastic player in the EFL, and would be a solid addition to Stoke's side, but the Potters do have to be careful when it comes to spending too much money on strengthening a position that is already fairly strong.

FLW's Stoke City fan pundit, Sam Harrison, is excited about Aasgaard as a player, but has issued a warning regarding finances.

"I think this link with Wigan's attacking midfielder is an interesting one," Sam told FLW.

"22 years old, attacking midfielder, very exciting in terms of what he could go on to do. I think he was linked with Blackburn in the summer, and it didn't come off, but what you have to be very careful with, especially in the Championship, is that you can't always throw away money."

"With this one, if we manage to get the deal done, it's one that would add more depth, and also him being able to play out wide is key. Right now, we need players off the bench that have a lot of quality and an ability to change games. I think Narcis Pelach will look for players like that."

"You've got your starters, the likes of Bae Jun-Ho, Lewis Koumas and Million Manhoef, but if they haven't been able to have an impact in a game, swapping them over and adding another bit of quality off the bench, like him (Aasgaard), could be the difference-maker."

"It's not a huge step-up, it's Wigan who are a good side, so moving up to the Championship, he'd be given his chance under Pelach. Wigan will rate him highly, they will want to cash in on him in a way, and in January a player's worth can get higher because of how much a team want a certain player."

"Is it our weakest position? I wouldn't say it is, we've got some good quality there, but he does add that depth. It's a young player that could be a future prospect."

"He'd be a player that I'd like to see in a Stoke City top, but it is a case of being very careful during January of how much you spend."