Stoke City will be more thankful than ever for Brighton's transfer faith | OneFootball

Seagulls loanee Andrew Moran has fast become one of the Potters' key players

Stoke City were busy over the summer transfer window as 10 new players arrived at the bet365 Stadium, but one loan capture has stood out above the rest so far, and the Potters will be pleased that they were chosen ahead of some other clubs for him to develop.

The Potters have explored the loan market pretty well in recent years, and so it is no surprise that they have done so again this year after Lee Darnborough was appointed as new head of recruitment in June, who was well known for his decent temporary domestic dealings while with Hull City.

The likes of Lewis Koumas and Tom Cannon have arrived from Liverpool and Leicester City respectively to bolster Stoke's attack for the season, and both look to have settled in relatively well, but it is Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Andrew Moran that has taken centre stage over his loan peers up to now.

Moran is no stranger to a season in the Championship, after he spent last term at Blackburn Rovers and impressed in his time at Ewood Park with four goals and nine assists in 41 appearances in all competitions, but Stoke were chosen to take him on for 2024/25 after he signed a new long-term deal with the Seagulls.

The Potters have reaped the rewards of their summer chase so far this season, and the 21-year-old looks to be coming into his own under new head-coach Narcis Pelach, so it will be key that he keeps his form up as the team hope of some success as the campaign goes on.

Andrew Moran has been a key player for Stoke so far

Moran had just one day to settle into his new Potteries surroundings before he was thrust into Championship action under Steven Schumacher away at Watford on August 17, and he made another substitute appearance a week later against West Brom as Stoke lost both games.

The Republic of Ireland under-21 international then made his first start of the season at Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup, and played a huge role in their emphatic 5-0 win at the Riverside, with three assists in 70 minutes to announce himself to Potters fans for the first time.

He then made his first start for the club in the Championship as Stoke sealed a vital 1-0 win at Plymouth Argyle, but was surprisingly dropped from the starting line-up for the next three outings as Schumacher was soon replaced by Spanish boss Pelach.

It has not taken long for the Potters' new head-coach to see just how influential the Irishman can be, and he was handed a start in a deeper role alongside Wouter Burger against Portsmouth, which saw him return to form with a goal and an assist as Stoke cruised to a 6-1 victory at the bet365 Stadium.

Pelach has since continued to deploy the 21-year-old as a box-to-box player in a midfield partnership alongside Burger or Jordan Thompson in recent weeks, and it is no coincidence that his four consecutive starts have seen the Potters go unbeaten since that Pompey thrashing.

His latest outing saw him net his second goal of the season against Bristol City, as he squeezed the ball past his compatriot Max O'Leary to put Stoke 2-0 up, and he was one of Pelach's better performers in a poor team outing that nearly saw the Robins complete an almighty comeback.

He has emerged as one of the Spaniard's first names on his team sheet in recent weeks, amid a host of injury issues in the middle of the park, and is set to be a very important player going forward into a busy winter schedule and beyond.

Stoke finally got Moran ahead of some tough competition

Stoke's pursuit of Moran was not a new one this summer, after TeamTalk reported last year that they were front-runners to sign him on loan for the 2023/24 campaign, despite interest from Blackburn, yet Rovers seemingly soon stole a march on the Potters, and he joined the Ewood Park club in last week of the transfer window.

Moran impressed in East Lancashire, particularly in the first four months of his loan spell, but his form did drop off in the second half of the season, so it came as no shock that Brighton were happy to sanction another loan move for him this summer.

There was an even bigger queue for his signature this summer, as The Athletic reported in early August that a number of Championship clubs were interested in securing his services on loan.

It was believed that the Potters and recent opponents Bristol City were the ones at the front of the queue to sign him, and Stoke finally got their coveted attacking midfielder in mid-August after he signed a new long-term deal at parent club Brighton.

Stoke will have been pleased that they managed to convince the Seagulls that the bet365 Stadium was the best place for him to continue his development, and it certainly looks like a decent decision from Fabian Hurzeler's side so far, as the 21-year-old beds in nicely in the Potteries and should be set to win a second senior international call-up before long.