Stoke City plotting reunion with Leicester City man but face Sheffield United battle | OneFootball

Harry Souttar has been linked with a return to the Championship

Leicester City defender Harry Souttar has emerged as a target for former club Stoke City this summer, as well as Sheffield United.

That's according to a fresh update from John Percy of The Telegraph, who states that the aforementioned duo are just two of the Championship clubs that are looking to strike a loan agreement for the Australian's signature.

Stoke are looking to build on the positive momentum shown in the latter stages of the season under Steven Schumacher and have already made a number of shrewd signings ahead of the upcoming season, with the aim of mounting a sustained bid for the play-off places for the first time in their current second tier stint, which is now entering its sixth year.

Meanwhile, United's summer has been well-documented at length amid a backdrop of ongoing takeover talks with a US-based consortium, whilst Chris Wilder continues to set about reshaping his squad after a dismal Premier League campaign.

Similarly to the Potters, a number of signings with proven Championship experience have already been made, and the potential acquisition of Souttar would continue their recent transfer policy trends.

Stoke City plot Harry Souttar reunion amid Sheffield United interest

As referenced above, John Percy of The Telegraph has revealed a potential transfer battle which could commence among a plethora of second tier sides, despite the fact only Stoke and the Blades have been name-dropped as potential destinations at this moment in time.

Percy claims that Souttar is set to complete a loan switch away from the King Power Stadium across this summer window, despite the Foxes' appointment of Steve Cooper following Enzo Maresca's departure to Chelsea in June.

This could see Stoke reunite with the centre-back who first made a name for himself at the Bet365 Stadium after joining from Dundee United for a reported £200,000 fee as a 17-year-old back in the autumn of 2016.

They eventually saw Souttar depart for Leicester in a £15m deal back in January 2023 after 70 consistent performances in red and white, as well as impressing for the Socceroos at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Furthermore, this isn't the first time this calendar year that the aforementioned Wilder has expressed an interest in signing Souttar, with links previously emerging between the defender and United back in January alongside the likes of Everton and Leeds United.

Harry Souttar's struggles since joining Leicester City

There's no secret that Souttar's stock has taken a massive downward trajectory since moving to the Foxes 18 months ago, which wasn't helped by the club's relegation back to the Championship under Dean Smith.

However, Souttar fell victim to Maresca's success as the Italian opted for a well-established centre-back pairing of Jannik Vestergaard and Wout Faes across an eventual title-winning campaign, leaving the Aussie with just four appearances to his name in the Championship and EFL Cup and a gaping hole over his future.

This was an aspect of his recent career which the 6"4 defender highlighted in a recent interview following Cooper's arrival at the King Power.

"It'd be very clear if (Maresca) was still there, my situation; to try and leave the club and get more minutes because I've lost out on a lot of football. To still be selected for the national team I know I need to be playing football," Souttar stated.

Harry Souttar would gain regular minutes at Stoke City or Sheffield United

Regardless of his struggles in the last year or so, Souttar would slot in with ease at either Stoke or Sheffield United should a loan deal with either club materialise, and given the pre-established connections he has in the Potteries and United's previous pursuits, the two clubs clearly have their own admiration for the player.

Souttar, alongside Ben Gibson and in front of Viktor Johansson would give Schumacher a really experienced base to work from as Stoke look to address their defensive issues which saw 60 goals shipped last campaign, and it's a spine which many other teams would potentially be envious of.

Meanwhile, Souttar could be viewed as a replacement for Anel Ahmedhodzic at Bramall Lane amid previous reports that the Bosnian had been one of a quartet free to seek a new challenge, but alongside him, the 30-cap international would be a strong replacement for the likes of Chris Basham or John Egan who both left the club in the off-season as a younger alternative, despite adhering to Wilder's previous transfer pledge of bringing in experienced performers.