Stoke City plotting move to sign Birmingham City star | OneFootball

Krystian Bielik is on the Potters' radar ahead of the deadline

Stoke City are eyeing up a move for Birmingham City defender Krystian Bielik as Mark Robins looks to bolster his squad ahead of a tough second-half of the season, according to a new report.

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

The bulk of their January 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 with just a week of the window now left, their efforts need to be ramped up.

Bielik has been a Championship regular for years, amid numerous long-term injury issues, with both Derby County and current club Birmingham, and has remained with the Blues in League One this season as they look set to return to the second-tier at the first time of asking.

His quality, versatility and leadership values make him a standout in the third-tier, and so it comes as little surprise to see Stoke register their interest in his services ahead of a possible move in the next week.

Krystian Bielik is being tracked by Stoke City

According to a new update from TEAMtalk reporter Fraser Fletcher, via X, Bielik is on Stoke's radar alongside Bristol City midfielder Mark Sykes and Crystal Palace defender Jeffrey Schlupp, who have both previously been linked with a move to the Potters before now.

Fletcher also claims that they could land all three players before the window closes on February 3, while any move for Bielik or the other pair would be on a permanent deal, with Stoke having limited spots left if they wish to include all of their loan players in a single matchday squad, per EFL rules.

Whether the Potters can afford to shell out a sizeable amount for the Poland international remains to be seen, with his current Blues contract running until 2027, but they are yet to spend a transfer fee on a player as yet this month, so could well have been waiting for a player like him to spend their limited budget on late in the window.

Bielik would be a smart addition to Mark Robins' ranks

Stoke are currently in the midst of a relegation battle, and while boss Robins aims to guide his side away from the bottom three in the second-half of the campaign, he is currently having to contend with numerous injury issues to his defenders and midfielders.

Ben Wilmot and Ben Gibson are both currently sidelined, leaving Stoke in need of a new addition with Michael Rose and Ashley Phillips as their only fit centre-backs right now, while even when they are all fit and ready to play, Robins could well want to bolster his ranks in that position regardless, if he wishes to play a three-at-the-back formation in the coming months.

As well as at the heart of defence, Bielik can also play as a holding midfielder, which also massively appeals to boss Robins as he has a limited pool of players to pick from in the middle of the park right now, with Sol Sidibe, Jordan Thompson, Bosun Lawal and Ben Pearson all unavailable, and Tatsuki Seko as Stoke's only fit, recognised defensive midfielder as it stands.

The 27-year-old is Birmingham's club-captain for this season, and has nearly 130 appearances at Championship level under his belt, so his potential arrival this week makes a lot of sense for the Potters.

Whether they will be able to match what the Blues want for one of their key men is another story, as they will not want to part with his services without a fight, especially given that he has made 18 league starts so far this term in their impressive League One campaign.