Stoke City must overcome obstacle to Bristol City deal - here’s why | OneFootball

The Potters need to push to sign Mark Sykes before the February deadline

Stoke City's January business is expected to accelerate as next week's deadline edges ever closer, and they must push to sign Bristol City midfielder Mark Sykes to add some quality and experience to their ranks, after recently being linked with interest in his services.

The Potters have had a quiet month on the transfer front, with just two loanees signed so far, in Josh Wilson-Esbrand and Ali Al-Hamadi from Manchester City and Ipswich Town respectively.

Boss Mark Robins is bound to want to add to his squad as the deadline edges ever closer, and versatile players that can play in both midfield and out wide are set to be on the agenda amid injury and form issues at the bet365 Stadium, with Stoke currently in the midst of a relegation battle in 20th place.

Bristol City man Sykes has emerged as a possible Potters target in recent days after a report from Sky Sports' Anthony Joseph, who has claimed that Stoke are keen on signing him this month, with the two clubs in talks over a move.

Sykes would be an ideal capture for boss Robins as he can play well in numerous positions in attack and in the middle of the park, he has good experience at the level from his time at Ashton Gate, and could be available for a cut-price fee with just six months left on his Bristol City deal.

Despite that, the Robins are reportedly keen to keep him at the club this month, and their manager Liam Manning has insisted that he knows nothing of any transfer interest, so the Potters will need to overcome multiple obstacles to sign the 27-year-old in the next seven days.

Mark Sykes would be a smart signing for Stoke right now

Stoke are in a troubling position in the table as it stands, and recently-appointed boss Robins has struggled to find the right formula to win games at the club since he arrived in early January, so a few shrewd signings are needed prior to the deadline to help the club pull away from the bottom three.

The likes of Wilson-Esbrand and Al-Hamadi are bound to become regular starters as the campaign wears on, and Sykes would also undoubtedly be in the same mould if he was to make the move north to the Potteries, given his age and good Championship experience, as well as, most importantly, his ability to positively impact games.

As well as an injury crisis that sees star winger Million Manhoef sidelined, Robins' attacking and midfield players are currently desperately struggling for form, as Andrew Moran and Lewis Koumas each have just one goal contribution in the last three months, Bae Jun-ho has been dropped from the starting eleven in recent weeks, and Andre Vidigal is still yet to feature under his new manager.

Sykes has been a solid Championship player for years now, but is currently out-of-favour under Liam Manning at Ashton Gate despite making 31 league starts last season.

He has only played 16 times this term, amid a hamstring injury that ruled him out for two months in November, but returned to fitness in early January and even notched an assist in Bristol City's 2-2 draw against Sheffield Wednesday last week.

The Robins do not want to lose his services this month, but with an initial six months left on his current contract and Manning preferring the likes of Anis Mehmeti and Scott Twine from the off right now, a move to Stoke to be a regular starter on decent wages could well appeal to the Republic of Ireland international ahead of a potential move.

Liam Manning has made his stance clear on losing Sykes this month

Despite his lack of recent starts, Sykes is still a valuable player to Bristol City as they look to make the play-offs this season, and Stoke will certainly have to battle to prise him from Ashton Gate if a deal is to happen before February 3.

The 27-year-old was given half-an-hour off the bench last time out against Blackburn Rovers as the Robins emerged 2-1 victors, and boss Manning remained coy after being asked about any transfer interest in him from the Potters after the game, but made his stance clear on the possibility of a sale anytime soon.

"I literally didn't find out until I got my pre-media notes which had it on there. I've not heard anything, no," Manning told BristolLive.

"Yes, (when asked if he wants to keep Sykes).

"He's done well. For me, he's done exactly what he's needed to do recently.

"I thought he was excellent the other night, for me, he gets us the point with the quality on the crosses. For me, I haven't heard of it no."

Stoke are clearly not set to get a free run at signing Sykes this week, but they need to overcome the obstacle of Manning wanting him to stay to add some much-needed quality, versatility and reliability to Mark Robins' squad ahead of the second-half of the season.

The five-time Republic of Ireland international would be a very shrewd addition to the Potters' ranks, and their chances of pulling away from relegation trouble would be massively boosted by his arrival in the coming days.