Stoke City set to hijack Bristol City, QPR transfer talks for Republic of Ireland international | OneFootball

The striker looks set to be the subject of a Championship transfer battle

Stoke City have joined Bristol City in the race to sign QPR striker Sinclair Armstrong this summer.

That's according to John Fallon of the Irish Examiner, who says that a decision could be made soon on the 21-year-old, with both clubs now seemingly having offers accepted by his current club.

Having joined QPR from Shamrock Rovers back in 2020, the striker has scored four goals in 64 first-team appearances in all competitions for the R's, although he could be on the move this summer.

It was reported on Monday that Bristol City were in advanced talks to sign Armstrong, who is now entering the final year of his contract at QPR.

However, it seems as though they will now face competition for his signature, with claims that Stoke are now also keen to secure his services and will soon be making an offer.

Stoke City to battle Bristol City for Sinclair Armstrong

Amid that interest from Bristol City, fresh interest from elsewhere in the striker now appears to be emerging.

According to this update from Fallon, Stoke have now also joined the race to sign Armstrong, as they look to boost their squad this summer.

It is thought that the Potters' Sporting Director, Jon Walters, is a fan of the 21-year-old, after previously working with the forward when he was part of Ireland's Under 19s staff.

Steven Schumacher's side have already completed three senior signings this summer, with Viktor Johansson, Ben Gibson and Eric Bocat all joining the club.

Following on from that, The Irish Independent have reported that QPR have agreed a fee of £2.5million with both Stoke and Bristol City for the sale of the striker.

As a result, it looks as though Armstrong is now set to decide which of the two clubs he wants to join, with a decision expected in the coming days.

Meanwhile, his former club Shamrock Rovers will also benefit from this deal, due to a reported 25% sell-on clause that was included when he left the Irish side to join QPR.

Stoke finished last season 17th in the Championship table, six points clear of the relegation zone.

For their part, Bristol City ended the campaign 11th in the standings, six points better off than the Potters.

The Robins have so far made two signings this summer, with striker Fally Mayulu and winger Yu Hirakawa both making moves to Ashton Gate.

QPR striker could be a good addition for the Potters

It does feel as though the signing of Armstrong would be a more than useful one for Schumacher's side to make.

The Potters find themselves short on attacking options after a number of departures already this summer, so this signing would provide some useful depth in that area if they can get it done.

Admittedly, Armstrong is still far from the most prolific when it comes to his record in front of goal for a striker.

However, at 21-years-old, there is still plenty of time for him to change that, and in many other aspects of his game, he is a huge threat at this level.

As a result, Stoke would be securing a potentially big asset if they can get this deal done, and damaging the prospects of some of their Championship rivals in the process.