Stoke City had a fantastic season finale as they were guaranteed a spot in the Championship. After a massive summer transfer window, there was a lot of optimism at the bet365 Stadium going into the season. However, the Potters struggled early on and Alex Neil was fired in December. To replace Neil, Steven Schumacher moved from Plymouth Argyle, but the 39-year-old first found it difficult to turn around the team’s fortunes and they were forced into a relegation scrap. But Stoke managed to secure their safety, finishing 17th in the standings, thanks to a run of just one loss in eight games, which included three straight wins in their previous three games.
The Potters will be itching for a far better season the next year, and technical director Jon Walters and coach Schumacher have a busy summer ahead of them as they try to revamp the team and transform the club’s ethos. In light of this, we examined the ideal beginning for Stoke City during the summer transfer window. Now that the season is over, speculation is starting to pick up steam, and one player that has been connected to Stoke is defender Jake Clarke-Salter of Queens Park Rangers. Journalist John Percy claims that Clarke-Salter is “a top summer target” for the Potters, and signing him may cost them anything from £5-7 million. In June 2022, Clarke-Salter moved from Chelsea to QPR, where he immediately made an impact.
The Hoops’ remarkable play in the second half of the season—they had only four losses in their previous 19 league games—was mostly due to their defensive steadiness, and Clarke-Salter was a constant presence in that stretch. Over the course of the season, Clarke-Salter made 33 appearances for the R’s, recording one goal, one assist, and 10 clean sheets. It’s easy to see why Clarke-Salter has drawn attention from Stoke, and Schumacher will need to bolster his center-back position when Luke McNally returns to Burnley at the conclusion of his loan.
This summer, Clarke-Salter will have plenty of suitors. Crystal Palace, Burnley, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Ipswich Town, and Celtic are all rumored to be interested in signing him. Stoke may have to deal with his valuation, but he would be a statement addition as the Potters attempt to usher in a new era at the club.
One player who Stoke will undoubtedly be eager to offload this summer is striker Ryan Mmaee. For an estimated £1.75 million, Mmaee left Hungarian team Ferencvaros to join the Potters in July, but it’s safe to say the deal hasn’t been successful. Despite being a regular in the first half of the season, the 26-year-old was forced to practice with the Under-21s in February after being suspended for disciplinary issues from the first team.
Speaking to Stoke-on-Trent Live, Schumacher discussed Mmaee’s predicament, saying, “We set out on the first day about the standards we expect at the training ground.”
I won’t go into the specifics, but there have been a few occasions where I thought Ryan wasn’t buying into it. Demanding things of the entire team when there is only one player who has been disappointing the coaching staff and players is unfair. It conveys the idea that we mean business when we say things. “I will not come here and make a careless comment. We must stand by the things we say and demand of the players. Ryan isn’t available right now. “The door is never permanently shut on any player but things have to change from his point of view if he wants to make an impact back in this team.”
After being added back to the squad in March, Mmaee played in four straight games against West Bromwich Albion, Norwich City, Hull City, and Huddersfield Town. However, he later suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out of action for the remainder of the campaign. It’s unclear if this was Mmaee’s final game for the team, but Schumacher expressed his disappointment for her and acknowledged that “it hasn’t been easy for either of us or for him since we came in December”.
Mmaee only managed four goals in 27 games this season, and considering his disciplinary record, Schumacher may decide to let go of him as he works to bring about a much-needed culture shift at the team.