Stoke City take Bristol City transfer action ahead of deadline | OneFootball

The Potters have put a bid in for Mark Sykes

Stoke City have reportedly made an official approach to sign Bristol City midfielder Mark Sykes with less than a week of the window left, after initial claims of their interest in the 27-year-old first emerged last week.

The Potters have been pretty quiet on the transfer front in January with just two loanees signed – Josh Wilson-Esbrand and Ali Al-Hamadi from Manchester City and Ipswich Town respectively.

The bulk of their winter business is believed to be likely to take place closer to the deadline, due to their struggles regarding profit and sustainability (PSR) and financial fair play (FFP) rules, and now with just a week of the window to go, their transfer efforts need to be ramped up.

Mark Robins needs versatile players that can play in both midfield and out wide, amid injury and form issues at the bet365 Stadium. Bristol City man Sykes has, therefore, emerged as a possible Potters target in recent days, and now they look to have made an official bid for his services with the February 3 deadline edging ever closer.

Stoke City make their move for Mark Sykes

Stoke were first linked with interest in Sykes' signature by Sky Sports' Anthony Joseph last week, who claimed that the Potters were keen on signing him this month, with the two clubs in talks over a move.

Despite the Robins reportedly being keen to keep him at the club and manager Liam Manning insisting that he knows nothing of any transfer interest, Joseph has now followed up on his initial report, via X, and stated that Stoke have now made an official bid for Sykes' services ahead of a potential move in the coming days.

The amount that the Potters have put forward to sign the Republic of Ireland international is currently unclear, but it is unlikely to be near his true value due to his contract situation at Ashton Gate, with his current deal there set to initially run out at the end of this season – though the Ashton Gate club do reportedly have a one-year option.

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.

Sykes would be an ideal capture for the Potters 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.

As well as an injury crisis that sees Million Manhoef and Sam Gallagher 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. 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.

Manning has made his stance very clear on losing Sykes' services this month, but with an initial six months left on his current contract and the boss 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.