“Not really worked out” - Stoke City player tipped for summer transfer move | OneFootball

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 had a tough season as they battle to stay in the Championship under Steven Schumacher.

Stoke City set for huge end to the season

The former Plymouth boss only joined the Potters in December, so he can’t take all the blame for their position, and the problems at the Bet365 Stadium have been apparent for years.

So, once again, a huge summer awaits, although the only priority for Stoke is to ensure they survive this season. But, beyond that, Schumacher is sure to want to make changes to the group when the window opens.

Yet, the obvious issue is that there’s already a big squad at Stoke, so whilst there will be a focus on incomings, it’s inevitable that many players will be on the move.

Daniel Johnson’s struggles at Stoke City

And, one who will surely be allowed to depart is Daniel Johnson, as the midfielder has failed to get much of an opportunity under Schumacher, to the extent that he hasn’t made the matchday squad recently.

The 31-year-old had impressed over the years for Preston, so it seemed like a coup for Stoke when they managed to bring him to the club. Plus, he would reunite with Neil, who had managed him at Deepdale.

But, he is now out of the picture, and Stoke fan pundit Ben admitted that it hasn’t gone to plan for the midfielder in Staffordshire, and a summer exit would appear to make sense for all parties.

“I think Daniel Johnson was very much an Alex Neil signing. There were rumours about him coming well before the summer transfer window, and he clearly wanted to rediscover his best form under Neil in the latter years of his career with one final pay day at Stoke.

“It’s not really worked out for him, he didn’t play well under Neil, and he has been nowhere to be seen under Schumacher. He’s probably someone who had a good relationship with the former manager, but perhaps his better days are behind him now, which is a shame because Preston fans loved him.

“I bet he regrets the move in the end, but yes, I do think Johnson should be shipped out in the summer, and we’ll need to try and find someone with a little bit more cutting edge.”

Of course, Johnson will be pushing to get back into the team this season, but if he doesn’t get any game time over the next few months, then he would surely be open to making a move, despite only joining 12 months prior.

The left-footer has a contract with the club that runs until the summer of 2025, so he will enter the final year of his deal in the coming months.

As mentioned, it’s all about staying up now for Stoke, and two wins in their past three games have helped lift the side up the table.

But, they still have a lot of work to do, ahead of the weekend fixture at home to a Norwich City side that have been flying in 2024, as they push to reach the play-offs this season.