Stoke City told to sign "really solid" Reading winger on one condition | OneFootball

The Potters' FLW fan pundit believes that Femi Azeez would be a solid addition, but he may not be needed if existing players stay at the club

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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 been urged to consider their priorities in the transfer window after Reading winger Femi Azeez was linked with a move to the Potteries and Million Manhoef was reported to be of interest to Leeds United.

Azeez enjoyed a successful season with the Royals last term as he registered eight goals and nine assists in League One under Ruben Selles, and has been linked with a move to the Potters as the transfer window enters its closing stages.

TEAMtalk have reported that Stoke have had a bid for the 23-year-old turned down as he enters the final year of his deal at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, while journalist Darren Witcoop states that Millwall have also seen an initial approach for Azeez rebuffed and Plymouth Argyle are also interested in his signature.

Fan pundit reacts to interest in Femi Azeez and implication on potential Manhoef deal

Stoke are seemingly in the market for another winger this month, which may not come as a surprise after Mehdi Leris' departure to Serie A side Pisa, and reported interest in Potters star man Million Manhoef.

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds are one of three Championship sides looking into a possible deal for the Dutch youth international as they explore a potential alternative to Norwich City's Jonathan Rowe, in case that deal can not be made.

Football League World's Potters fan pundit Sam Harrison believes that Azeez would be a sensible signing as Schumacher looks to add to his attacking depth this summer, but is unsure whether he would want the Royals' wide man to replace Manhoef after his impressive performances since joining from Vitesse in January.

He said: “For some reason, last season we were bringing wingers in left, right and centre.

“Manhoef came in January, and we were going ‘hang on, we don’t need another winger,’ but he came into the club, and he should be in the starting eleven week-in, week-out now.

“We clearly find some real good gems with wingers, and Azeez could be that, and he could also offer us that bit of depth in the side.

“You’ve got Bae Jun-ho, Andre Vidigal, Manhoef, Lewis Koumas is also there, so there would be a battle for places, which is what we need to keep up that quality to have on the pitch week in and week out.

“I wouldn’t like to lose Manhoef, I’d prefer the battle to be between (him and Azeez).

“Say Manhoef got injured, Azeez could then come into the side and provide us with that bit of quality.

“It's one of them where, with it being the last year of his contract, Reading will be looking to get a bit of money for him, but I don’t know if we need to go that hard on bringing him in.

“If Manhoef is looking elsewhere and is set to leave, then you’d want to bring in someone quickly, but do the club feel they need to bring Azeez into the side (if not)?

“The (answer to that) would result in how much they would pay, or how hard they’re going to go with the negotiations.

“It would be really solid, bringing in a player like Azeez, but being a left-footed attacker similar to Manhoef, will that mean he is potentially leaving? I don’t know, we’ll have to see.

“If we cash in on Manhoef and get a good bit of money from Leeds, or elsewhere, we could then use it on a player like Azeez and hopefully someone else that could bolster our attack a little bit more.

“If Manhoef is going to stay, it depends on how urgent or big of a priority the club think it is to bring Azeez in.”

Azeez should only be signed to add depth to Schumacher's ranks

While Azeez is clearly a quality League One player after a standout 2023/24 campaign in a poor Reading side, he has not yet shown the consistency needed to replace someone like Manhoef in the second-tier for a club that is looking to push into the top-half this season.

Schumacher is currently lacking on the right-wing after Leris' exit, and Stoke have made it clear that they do not want to lose their dynamic Dutch frontman to another Championship side after reportedly placing a valuation of upwards of £10m on him this month.

Leeds are looking to replace Crysencio Summerville with Norwich starlet Jonathan Rowe before the transfer window closes, and will seemingly turn to Manhoef soon if they cannot reach an agreement with the Canaries, but Stoke's interest in Azeez would make little sense if the 22-year-old departs the bet365 Stadium.

Azeez was with Reading while they were previously in the Championship, and registered just two goals and two assists in 34 second-tier games across two seasons from 2021 to 2023, so his record in the division certainly leaves a lot to be desired compared to Manhoef.

The former Vitesse man has netted four goals and registered two assists in 16 appearances in all competitions since his arrival in the January window, and was a key part of Schumacher's side last season as he helped the Potters avoid the Championship drop.

With that said, if he is sold in the coming weeks, it would only make sense for Azeez to come in alongside another decent right-wing option, whereas if Manhoef stays with Stoke, the 23-year-old would definitely be a sensible back-up signing to provide some much-needed depth in that position.