It feels inevitable that 28-year-old will leave Stoke City next month: View | OneFootball

Stoke City have found their new manager in the form of ex-Plymouth Argyle boss Steven Schumacher.

Schumacher has made the move up from the south and is tasked with keeping the Potters in the Championship.

It will be fascinating to see how a number of players’ futures are affected by this new arrival- some will be afforded a new lease of life whilst others may find their place under scrutiny.

One Stoke City player who this could be make or break for is Lewis Baker, the feeling of his eventual departure being inevitable grows every day.

Lewis Baker arrived at Stoke City in the 2022 January transfer window, having been a Chelsea player for the best part of 20 years.

He went out on numerous loan spells away from Stamford Bridge but the England U21 international finally found a new permanent home after his boyhood club.

From a highly rated youngster at one of the Premier League’s best teams to looking for regular football in the Championship, this is a path that many footballers have followed.

It has to be said that Baker quickly made an impact in the Stoke shirt and was showing exactly why he was a Cobham product.

Eight goals and two assists from 21 games in that 2021/22 campaign showed Baker to be a serious player indeed and the Bet365 faithful were delighted with their attacking midfielder.

He followed this up with a very respectable season, contributing to 12 goals in 2,756 league minutes whilst also scoring in the FA Cup against Stevenage as Stoke won 3-1.

Baker’s loan spells to clubs such as Leeds United, Middlesbrough and Reading bore very little fruit with the only worthwhile stint coming abroad.

Playing for Dutch side Vitesse, 15 goals and six assists in the Eredivisie saw a continuation of the strong links between the Blues and the side from Arnhem.

Returning to present day and knee surgery led to Baker missing 17 games, between the start of July this year and late October.

Since then, the 28-year-old has made just the one appearance, a cameo off of the bench against Plymouth Argyle, whilst he remained as an unused substitute in the clashes with Sheffield Wednesday and West Bromwich Albion.

What the future holds for Lewis Baker at Stoke City

In the summer of 2022, Baker agreed to a new three-year deal with the club and so he is contracted there until 2025.

That being said, he was stripped of the captaincy at the start of the season and Darren Witcoop reported that the midfielder could be one player on the market next month.

Also in this conversation are Josh Tymon and D’Margio Wright-Phillips, with the club willing to listen to offers for this group.

Baker has had something of a journeyman career when including all of the loan deals away from Chelsea and he will be keen to have a similar impact on any new club he joins as he did at Stoke.