Why Wolves player may regret not sealing switch to Stoke City: Opinion | OneFootball

Matija Sarkic's move to Stoke City broke down due to the two parties' failure to agree personal terms, according to the Express and Star.

It was previously unclear what had caused this move to fall through, with some wondering whether he had failed his medical after suffering a couple of injuries out on loan in recent years.

What is Matija Sarkic's current situation at Wolves?

Unfortunately for the Montenegro international, he doesn't look set to be one of the first names on the teamsheet at Molineux next season.

Not only are Jose Sa and Daniel Bentley available as first-team options for Julen Lopetegui - but Tom King has also arrived at the club and these players could limit the amount of game time Sarkic wins next season.

The latter still has two years left on his contract at the Midlands club but with the stopper set to turn 26, it makes little sense for him to see out the remainder of his time at the club considering he isn't likely to start regularly.

An injury crisis could allow him to make his mark - but he can't afford to rely on that and none of these keepers' deals expire next year - so his game time looks set to be limited for the next two seasons.

Why might Matija Sarkic regret not sealing a move to Stoke City?

A move to another Midlands club seemed ideal for Sarkic - who wouldn't have needed to move far if he had made the switch to the bet365 Stadium.

It seems unlikely that he will be able to seal a move to another Championship club in the Midlands this summer as well.

Mads Hermansen has joined Leicester City, Coventry City have recently signed Brad Collins, Birmingham City may not be on the prowl for a first-choice stopper considering they already have John Ruddy and West Bromwich Albion already have plenty of goalkeeping options at their disposal.

This is one reason why a move to Stoke would have been ideal for the player if he wanted to remain reasonably close to his current location.

Focusing more on the Potters, they are a club that could be on the up under previous promotion winner Alex Neil, who could guide the club into the promotion mix next season.

Although the Staffordshire side have been underwhelming since their return to the second tier, Stoke are an exciting club to come to with the Potters needing to rebuild their squad this summer and already recruiting some high-quality players including Enda Stevens, Ben Pearson and Michael Rose.

At the bet365 Stadium, Sarkic would have pretty much been guaranteed a regular starting spot too, with the 25-year-old likely to have been ahead of Jack Bonham and Frank Fielding in the pecking order.