Exclusive: What Don Goodman thinks is the "big concern" of Stoke City signing John Egan | OneFootball

Don Goodman has given his reaction to reports that Stoke City are one of the clubs interested in Hull City defender John Egan.

Pundit Don Goodman believes it would be a gamble for Stoke City to sign Hull City defender John Egan due to his lack of game time in recent years.

After making just eight appearances during a six-month spell at Burnley, Egan joined Hull on the final day of the winter transfer window, with the 32-year-old signing an 18-month contract at the MKM Stadium.

Egan was not always a guaranteed starter for the Tigers in the second half of last season, but he did feature in each of the final five games of the campaign as the East Yorkshire outfit narrowly avoided relegation from the Championship on goal difference.

However, with Hull currently under a three-window transfer fee ban and experiencing financial problems, Football Insider claim that Egan could be "available for a minimal fee" this summer, and Stoke are one of the clubs keen on the Republic of Ireland international, along with Derby County and newly-promoted Wrexham.

Should the Potters win the race for Egan, he would become their fifth signing of what has been a busy summer at the bet365 Stadium after the arrivals of Maxi Talovierov, Aaron Cresswell, Sorba Thomas and Divin Mubama.

Don Goodman issues warning as Stoke City eye Hull City defender John Egan

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Goodman admitted that Egan's lack of game time in recent years would make him a risky signing for Stoke, and he questioned how often he would feature in the Potteries given the number of centre-backs already at the club.

"I could understand the link between John Egan and Stoke City," Goodman said.

"They struggled defensively last season, there's no doubt about that.

"But they've brought in Maxi Talovierov from Plymouth Argyle, and they've brought in Aaron Cresswell. They already have Ben Wilmot and Ben Gibson, so it would be interesting to see who the starting defenders would be if he went there.

"The big concern with John at the age of 32 is the fact that he's only played 24 games in the last three seasons, so he has struggled with injuries.

"It might be a bit of a gamble, but if you get the John Egan of Sheffield United four seasons ago, then you'd have a player."

John Egan signing could be a gamble worth taking for Stoke City

Goodman is right to raise concerns about Egan's limited minutes in recent years, but he did remain injury-free for the entirety of last season after recovering from the serious Achilles injury he sustained in his final year at Sheffield United.

Egan may not have nailed down a place in the starting line-up after joining Hull in February, but he did help them to retain their place in the Championship last season, and their strong defensive record was crucial to them avoiding relegation on goal difference.

As Goodman says, Stoke already have a number of centre-backs on their books, but if Egan can rediscover the form that made him one of the best defenders in the second tier not that long ago, he could be a significant upgrade on Mark Robins' existing options.