Michael O’Neill reveals Premier League contact as Stoke City plans align | OneFootball

Stoke City manager Michael O’Neill has suggested that the Potters are already preparing for the summer transfer window and will make loan signings from the Premier League a priority.

The Potters are unlikely to be able to do much business in the market in terms of making expensive permanent signings. O’Neill has already previously outlined they would need to shift on some high earners before they can do that. Therefore, it would be vital that they use the loan market well and aim to bring in the quality they need through that method.

O’Neill will be aware that there are key areas within the squad that need to be addressed for them to improve next season. He will therefore be aware of the type of players he would be wanting to bring into the club on a temporary basis, if he is going to go down the loan additions route.

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Speaking to the Stoke Sentinel, O’Neill revealed that the Potters are going to use the loan market this summer and that they have already sent off some enquiries to Premier League clubs over the availability of certain players heading into the transfer window.

He said: “It will be for us to bring players in permanently because of Financial Fair Play. The loan market is obviously there to use.

“The loan market was difficult this season because Premier League players tended to keep bigger squads due to Covid. They weren’t loaning out as many players as they did in previous years.

“The problem with the loan market is that you don’t get an early decision. If we got to Manchester United or Everton or someone like that and ask if we can have this young player, they are never going to say yes on Day One. They are going to see how their squad develops.

“We have been in contact with Premier League clubs about players.

“Equally, these squads will be decimated in pre-season because players will be away for the European Championships. They will keep their own players at their training grounds for longer.

“You will have a dilemma about whether you hold off in the hope you get a young player on loan against one that you can possibly sign on a permanent basis.

“That’s the dilemma we will face this window. Hopefully we will get those decisions right.”

The verdict

This is a vital summer for the Potters and for O’Neill’s tenure in charge of the club, you feel that he needs to get his decisions over player recruitment spot on if he is going to be able to survive long in the job at the Bet365 Stadium. Using the loan market is potentially a very wise move for the club this summer with finances set to be stretched.

The Potters will be hoping that they can get a response from the Premier League clubs that they have already made contact with over loans as soon as possible. O’Neill will like to have some signings through the door ahead of pre-season so that he could start to work with them on the training ground heading into next term.

However, with loan deals as he suggests it might have to be a case of being patient and waiting on the business done by their parent clubs first. That is not an ideal situation to be in, but Stoke will have to try and make the best of it and not get too disheartened if one or two of their potential loan targets are not made available.