Wolves field seven-figure Stoke City offer for player | OneFootball

Stoke City have lodged a bid for Wolves defender Dion Sanderson, as per Football Insider.

The source revealed that Stoke are set to rival Birmingham in the race for Sanderson's much-coveted signature, where he has undertaken two separate loan spells away from his parent club.

Sanderson made 16 appearances for Birmingham in the first half of the 2021/22 campaign, before turning out on 34 occasions in the season just gone.

He formed part of a fairly astute defensive line that helped the club to exceed low expectations at the start of the season and finish 17th, which has amplified the competition for his services ahead of an uncertain future at Wolves.

Are Stoke likely to sign Sanderson?

It appears that Sanderson's days at the Molineux are numbered, with The Athletic disclosing that there are internal 'reservations' regarding his ability to compete in the Premier League.

Wolves had sent Sanderson out on loan to various clubs including Cardiff City, Sunderland and QPR to help him eventually develop into a top-flight footballer, but at this stage, it does not seem like he will be afforded that chance at his boyhood side.

So, there is a visible opening for teams in the Championship to recruit Sanderson, and Stoke may just fancy their chances.

While they only managed to finish 16th last term, one place higher than counterparts Birmingham, they have displayed a real knack of being able to allure high-profile names to the Potteries such as Axel Tuanzebe, Ben Pearson and Dwight Gayle.

Even though Pearson is probably the only name there to have succeeded at Stoke, many supporters regarded all three as major coups at the time, and it shows their pull in the transfer market, something they will no doubt look to maximise once again if they are to successfully battle off competition for Sanderson.

And, with talk heeding towards a monumental summer rebuild at the club, Stoke could be an exciting place to be next season if ambitions come to full fruition.

This could work in Alex Neil's favour, so too could the logistics, given that Sanderson hails from the West Midlands and if more teams enter the race, that factor could also benefit Stoke significantly.

Would Dion Sanderson be a good signing for Stoke?

Having already made close to 100 senior appearances at the age of 23, Sanderson represents a viable option for both the here and now, and the future.

He may be at an age where he has not yet hit his prime and can still get better, but he has looked more-than-equipped for the demands of the Championship ever since heading out on loan to Cardiff over three years ago.

Crucially, though, is the youthful energy that he would implement into Stoke's backline, something they will be keen to rectify with Phil Jagielka still a bonafide regular at the age of 40.