No right-back signed: 2 transfer regrets Stoke should have following summer window | OneFootball

FLW picks out two situations that the Potters may wish they addressed before the window closed

Stoke City will be mostly pleased with how their summer transfer window turned out, but may have some regrets over certain decisions made that they now cannot go back on.

Steven Schumacher has been aiming to improve Stoke's chances of a top-half finish this summer, after he guided the club to second-tier safety last season following his appointment in late December.

10 new faces have arrived at Stoke throughout the summer - Viktor Johansson, Ben Gibson, Eric Bocat, Bosun Lawal, Tatsuki Seko and Sam Gallagher have all joined on permanent deals, while Ashley Phillips, Andrew Moran, Lewis Koumas and Tom Cannon are all set to complete respective season-long loans in the Potteries.

Numerous senior players also departed the club, with Tyrese Campbell, Mehdi Leris, Daniel Johnson, Josh Laurent and Lewis Baker all looking ahead to the new campaign in pastures new.

Schumacher will feel relatively happy with his squad after a decent start to the season, but FLW have picked out two regrets that he and the club may hold with the window now shut until January.

No new right-back was signed

Right-back has not been a position of trouble for Stoke over the last few seasons, but they may have left themselves somewhat short this season after a summer without a new addition to that position.

Ki-Jana Hoever has lit up the bet365 Stadium from right-back over the last 18 months, after his initial arrival from Wolves saw him register four goals and an assist in 15 league games, which prompted Stoke to loan him in again last summer as he impressed once again with four goals and five assists in 40 Championship appearances in 2023/24.

The Potters were reportedly interested in bringing him back to the Potteries for a third spell this summer, but a move never materialised and he joined Ligue 1 side AJ Auxerre, which seemingly made Stoke move onto other options that they were then linked to such as Newcastle's Harrison Ashby and Sturm Graz' Max Johnston.

Neither of those players joined either, and Stoke's apparent pursuit of a right-back came to nothing, which leaves them with just Junior Tchamadeu as Schumacher's only out-and-out option in that position this season, with Lynden Gooch as a back-up and youngster Jaden Dixon who can also step into that role.

Tchamadeu has started the season well, but his form is bound to go through peaks and troughs at just 20-years-old, and he could pick up an injury at any point, so his potential replacements will not fill Potters fans with much confidence if they are needed to play regularly at some point this season, and the club may well regret not bringing in a recognised back-up.

Niall Ennis and Andre Vidigal were not sold

Stoke did a good job of offloading those that were deemed surplus to requirements by Schumacher this summer, but two less-fancied players have stayed, and the Potters may well regret their decision not to find a new club for either Niall Ennis or Andre Vidigal in the months ahead.

Ennis joined the club in the January transfer window with Stoke struggling in front of goal, after Schumacher had become familiar with his game during their time together at Plymouth Argyle, and he had failed to register a goal or assist in 11 Championship games at Blackburn Rovers following a move to Ewood Park last summer.

He has also struggled to rediscover his form at the bet365 Stadium though, as he netted just once in 14 league games last season and has been given just one start in six games so far in this campaign, with the arrival of the likes of Cannon and Gallager, and the emergence of youngster Emre Tezgel, pushing him further down the pecking order.

The 25-year-old was linked with moves to League One sides Barnsley and Wrexham late on in the transfer window, but a move never happened and Stoke are now set to allow fellow striker Ryan Mmaee to leave the club, despite him having a better record than Ennis, and they will surely regret not finding him a move instead of the Moroccan international.

Vidigal will be wondering where it all went wrong for him in ST4, after he impressed upon arrival from Portuguese side Maritimo last summer, but fell further out of favour as the season went on and is yet to feature in any senior games so far this campaign due to injury and other players being picked over him.

Schumacher has moved to bolster his wide options this summer, with Lewis Koumas joining in Vidigal's position, new striker Sam Gallagher also able to play on the wing, and Lynden Gooch being played out wide on the left at times, so while Vidigal may well come back into contention after his spell on the sidelines, it seems like he will be third choice on either wing this season.

Stoke-on-Trent Live have recently reported that the 26-year-old is understood to have turned down a chance to leave Stoke so far, which may encourage Schumacher as it highlights his desire to fight for his place, but he could still have get-out options over the next few days and weeks with transfer windows across the world still open for him to seal a move away.

The last thing Stoke will want is Vidigal becoming unsettled as a result of his lack of game-time, but that may happen if he does remain, and so they may live to regret their potential decision to allow him to stay.