Lee Darnbrough, who has unearthed some gems as Hull City’s head of recruitment, is now set to join Stoke.
Stoke City have already made significant changes ahead of Steven Schumacher’s first summer at the club. On May 20th, the Potters parted ways with head of recruitment Jared Dublin after eleven months and two eventful transfer windows under his leadership.
During Dublin’s tenure, Stoke focused heavily on scouting outside the UK, signing 23 players across the summer and winter windows. While there were successes like Wouter Burger, Jun-Ho Bae, and Million Manhoef, there were also notable misses, including Wesley, Chiquinho, and Nikola Jojic.
Dublin was initially appointed under former technical director Ricky Martin, who was sacked in February. With ex-player Jon Walters taking over, Dublin’s exit seemed inevitable due to the likely shift in transfer strategy.
Now, Stoke is searching for a new chief to oversee transfers alongside Schumacher and Walters. Journalist Alan Nixon has tipped Hull City head of recruitment Lee Darnbrough to join the Potters ahead of a crucial summer as they aim to finish in the Championship’s top half for the first time since their 2018 relegation.
Darnbrough, who joined Hull after leaving Norwich City in 2017, has operated smartly on a modest Championship budget, securing key transfers that have bolstered the team.
Darnbrough’s Impact at Hull City
While Hull hasn’t achieved major on-pitch success since Darnbrough’s arrival, he has overseen crucial transfers that led to League One promotion and nearly reaching the Championship play-offs last season. Future stars Harry Wilson and Fikayo Tomori were signed on loan in his first summer, and players like Malik Wilks, Greg Docherty, and Richard Smallwood played pivotal roles in Hull’s immediate promotion back to the Championship as League One champions in 2021.
Darnbrough also signed George Honeyman, Alfie Jones, and Jacob Greaves, each winning the club’s Player of the Year award in recent years. Under his watch, Hull frequently gave younger players from higher-tier teams a chance, such as Regan Slater and Ryan Longman, who became key players.
The last two transfer windows have been some of the most adventurous for Hull, with smart loan market use bringing in Fabio Carvalho, Tyler Morton, and Liam Delap. These players helped Hull finish seventh in the Championship, just three points off the play-offs.
Successful Transfers and Strategic Flops
Despite successes, Darnbrough’s strategy has had its share of flops, with players like James Scott, Allahyar Sayyedmanesh, and Dogukan Sinik failing to meet expectations despite significant fees.
Darnbrough’s experience and network could greatly benefit Stoke, whose transfer business has been inconsistent in recent years.
Previous Interest in Darnbrough
This is not the first time Darnbrough has been linked with a move. In 2019, he was rumored to join Scottish Premiership side Hearts, with then-Hull boss Grant McCann praising his work. Premier League side Wolves also showed interest in 2020, but Darnbrough stayed with Hull.
These advances highlight Darnbrough’s respected status in English football, suggesting that Stoke could look forward to successful transfer dealings if he is hired before the summer window officially opens.