Stoke City is focused on the future with new head coach Narcis Pelach at the helm. Although he couldn’t influence previous transfer decisions, he will have his first opportunity to reshape the squad in the upcoming January window.
Narcis Pelach was not part of Stoke City’s summer transfer activities, as he was appointed head coach in September after Steven Schumacher was dismissed just five games into the season. This means Pelach is working with a squad he did not assemble and may seek to reshape the team to fit his vision when the January transfer window opens.
One player likely to depart is striker Niall Ennis, who has found opportunities limited in the early part of the campaign. Stoke is expected to seek reinforcements to strengthen their attack, given their current thin squad. In this context, Football League World has identified two additional players who could follow Ennis out in January.
Ben Pearson
Expectations were high for Ben Pearson last season after he became a permanent member of the Stoke squad following a successful loan stint in the second half of the 2022/23 campaign. However, the past year has not gone according to plan. While he was a consistent starter under Alex Neil, he made only nine appearances under Schumacher and was sent off shortly after coming on as a substitute in a match against Leeds, a moment that encapsulated his struggles under the previous manager.
Pearson suffered a hamstring injury in a 3-0 defeat to Norwich and did not play again that season. He required surgery in the offseason and has been sidelined since, facing setbacks in his recovery. He might only be fit just before the January window, which leaves him little time to impress Pelach. Consequently, the coach may look to offload him to help him regain fitness through a loan, or possibly even consider a permanent move, as Pearson may not align with Pelach’s style of play.
Jaden Dixon
Stoke has a history of developing young center-backs from various youth systems, with players like Harry Souttar and Nathan Collins coming through the ranks. Jaden Dixon, signed from Tottenham Hotspur last summer, is following a similar trajectory. Despite Spurs’ surprising decision to let him go, Dixon has been making strides within the club.
The 17-year-old began regularly training with the first team at the start of the 2023/24 season and made the senior bench for the first time against Leicester City last October. This season, he has made his first professional appearances in the EFL Cup and has also come off the bench in the Championship. However, since Pelach’s arrival, more experienced players have been preferred.
Dixon has been filling in at right-back, although his natural position is center-back. To continue his development, he would benefit from consistent playing time in his preferred role rather than spending the season with the under-21 side. Therefore, a loan move to a League Two club in January seems likely, even at a young age, to gain valuable experience.