Stoke City’s transfer stance emerges on player attracting interest from Championship rivals | OneFootball

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Football League World

·26 January 2023

Stoke City’s transfer stance emerges on player attracting interest from Championship rivals

Article image:Stoke City’s transfer stance emerges on player attracting interest from Championship rivals

Stoke City are determined to keep Josh Laurent this month, despite interest from the midfielder’s former club Reading, a report from The Stoke Sentinel has revealed.

Laurent only joined the Potters in the summer, arriving on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract with Reading, having made 88 appearances and scored five goals in a two-year spell with the club.


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Since then, the midfielder has gone on to make 16 appearances in all competitions for Stoke, providing one assist in that time.

However, it was reported on Wednesday that Reading had made contact with Stoke, about the possibility of re-signing the 27-year-old this month.

Now though, it appears that deal is one that is unlikely to materialise, with this latest update claiming that Stoke are intent on keeping Laurent, beyond the end of this window.

It is thought that the midfielder is highly valued by manager Alex Neil, meaning a departure does not look to be on the cards.

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Indeed, with Laurent having signed a three-year deal at the Bet365 Stadium in the summer, the Potters are under no pressure to let him leave this month, particularly given Reading are restricted to free transfer and loan signings at this moment in time.

This does feel like the right stance for Stoke to take with regards to the future of Laurent.

Having been hampered by injuries this season, the 27-year-old has yet to get the chance to fully show what he can do for the Potters this season.

As a result, it wouldn’t seem to make sense to let him go before he does that, especially considering he does have the ability to make an impact at this level.

With that in mind, it doesn’t seem worth allowing a rival to strengthen their own side with this signing, particularly when they are under no pressure to do so.

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