Souttar latest & links with Tottenham: The latest Stoke City transfer talking points | OneFootball

Stoke City are once again battling at the right end of the Championship table and will be desperate to clinch promotion back to the Premier League.

Under Michael O’Neill, they have looked like one of the better sides in the league again and could be right amongst the play-off places come the end of the current campaign.

In a bid to try and further strengthen their position – and push on in the second half of the season – they could be on the hunt for some new signings when the winter window opens.

But who has been linked with a move to the Potters so far?

Stoke one of several sides chasing John Souttar

One of the biggest stories heading into January will be the future of John Souttar and whether he will decide to leave – and where he will move to if he does – in the transfer window.

With his contract set to run out at current club Hearts, he has plenty of potential suitors from both Scotland and over in England too.

Stoke are one of those teams (as reported by Football League World’s exclusive sources) and will be desperate to secure the signature of one of the most sought-after players in the SPFL right now.

They’ll face a battle to do so, with a large number of other Championship teams also desperate to land the 25-year-old. Hearts themselves do not want to lose one of their most important players and their manager has told Sky Sports that business will not be done in January.

Stoke will hope though that the lure of a potential promotion to the Premier League could lure him to the bet365 Stadium – but their hat will certainly be in the ring for his signature.

John Souttar is an impressive player and he’s having a superb season so far. It’s no surprise that so many teams are chasing after him. Stoke landing him would be huge for them and would give them so much additional strength in their squad – and could be a nice finishing touch in a potential promotion-winning team.

Whether they need a player in his position or not is irrelevant. He looks the real deal and could be signed on the cheap too, meaning if the Potters could land him then it would be a real solid and shrewd purchase. The only dilemma for them in this instance is what they need to pay to land him – and whether Hearts may price them and others out of a move to keep him in Scotland for now.

Another player that Stoke are chasing – amongst a number of other sides – is Dilan Markanday (as revealed exclusively by Football League World.)

Four teams including the Potters are all believed to be eyeing a move for the player, with the youngster potentially set to be allowed out on a short-term basis in pursuit of more regular action.

Spurs have yet to let him play much in the Premier League and with gametime hard to come by in the top flight, new Tottenham boss Antonio Conte looks likely to let him depart when the winter window opens.

Stoke will be eager to bring him in, as his record for the academy team is impressive. If he can carry that into competitive football, then he could be an exciting signing for the Potters.

Michael O’Neill will be hoping that their former link to Spurs – having loaned players from the club before – will make them favour Stoke over many of the other teams too.

Markanday does look a bright talent and as Stoke would be his first chance on a bigger stage and getting regular action, he would no doubt be desperate to impress. That could work in the Potters’ favour and means he could be another good January addition.

Harry Souttar – Delaying the inevitable?

Souttar was attracting interest from higher up the football pyramid right up until his current injury. It’s likely to keep him sidelined for quite some time and means that Stoke are likely to have to find a suitable replacement in the interim.

Who they turn to is anyone’s guess right now – but the good news is that it is likely to also ward off any current interest in the player for now. Stoke On Trent Live claimed that Everton were among a number of teams desperate to sign him but with the player now out of action, there will probably be less bids for him when the window opens.

It means that there will be one less worry for Michael O’Neill to deal with when the window does open its doors – but it is likely to only be delaying the inevitable, as he will no doubt have a flood of bids come in for his services when he does regain his fitness.

Stoke then may need to find not a short-term solution but a long-term one in January, as they prepare for life without him, whether that comes now or in the summer.