Stoke City closing in on transfer agreement with MLS outfit | OneFootball

Stoke City defender Tom Edwards is closing in on a return to the New York Red Bulls, according to multiple reports.

90min first stated on Tuesday that a host of MLS clubs were looking into the possibility of signing the 22-year-old right back from the Potters, but that the Red Bulls were confident of landing Edwards once again after he spent the 2021 campaign on loan at the Red Bull Arena.

And that has been backed up by USA-based reporter Kristian Dyer, who believes that all things are ‘trending in the right direction’ for another season-long loan deal for Edwards.

Quiz: Can you name which club Stoke City signed these 28 defenders from?

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Ben Wilmot?

Watford Norwich Brentford Leeds

Former Barnsley manager Gerhard Struber is clearly keen to reunite with Edwards, who made 28 appearances in the MLS for the Red Bulls last season, operating as both a right back and a right-sided centre-back as part of a back three.

Edwards, who has made 52 appearances for Stoke in his career and is under contract until the summer of 2024, returned to the club following the conclusion of the MLS season last month but is currently sidelined until March with a knee injury.

That hasn’t put Struber off from trying to seal a deal to bring him back Stateside though, with the new league campaign in the USA only kicking off in two months time which gives Edwards time to recover.

The Verdict

This is probably a good move for all parties, all things considered.

You could be forgiven for thinking that Stoke aren’t exactly that well-covered at right wing back with just Tommy Smith and Demeaco Duhaney as natural options, but Michael O’Neill clearly sees Edwards’ future elsewhere and not as competition to that duo.

And by all accounts Edwards did pretty well in the MLS last season and another good campaign for the Red Bulls could end up earning him a permanent switch in a years time.

As someone who has been at Stoke since the age of eight it’s probably disappointing for Edwards that he’s not had chances in recent times but if another move to the USA is completed then it gives him another platform to develop his career.