Stoke City sporting director Jon Walters has insisted that the club will not sell their key players and have received no transfer advances despite rumours of interest in their star men throughout the summer.
The Potters went through a tumultuous campaign last term, but boss Steven Schumacher was eventually able to guide the club to survival in the Championship as they finished 17th, six points from relegation, and will be looking to improve this time around with eight signings made so far in the transfer window.
There has been a real onus on bringing in young, high-potential overseas players for low fees over the last 12 months, and that strategy looks to have paid off, as despite numerous poor signings, Stoke have also managed to bring in some gems from all over the world with the likes of Bae Jun-ho, Wouter Burger and Million Manhoef all impressing since arriving in the Potteries.
All three of those players have been linked with respective moves away this summer following their impressive 2023/24 campaigns, but Stoke have been understandably reluctant to allow any of their key men leave, and it has been confirmed by Walters that the club do not plan to sanction any high-profile exits in this window.
Walters insists no inquiries for in-demand players
Interest in key men is a good thing for Stoke, in a way, as it shows that their transfer strategy has been working and can continue to be a fruitful plan going forward, but that does not mean they will want to sell so soon with the club aiming to progress under Schumacher this season.
Reports of interest in midfielder Burger first emerged in May, as TEAMtalk confirmed that Tottenham Hotspur, relegated Sheffield United, and two other unnamed sides from within the Premier League were all tracking the Dutchman, while last season’s Player of the Year, Jun-ho, has also been touted for a potential exit, after TEAMtalk stated that his fine form had alerted clubs in the Bundesliga and Serie A to him, and a recent report claimed that Fulham were admirers of the 20-year-old.
| Bae Jun-ho Stoke City 2023/24 statistics | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 38 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Assists | 5 |
| Shot-creating actions per 90 | 3.84 |
| Progressive carries per 90 | 2.97 |
| Successful take-on % | 43.9% |
| Stats as per FBref, league games only | |
TEAMtalk also recently revealed that Leeds United were interested in securing the services of the Potters’ Dutch winger Manhoef, and the £10m fee that Stoke are reportedly demanding is not thought to be an issue for the Whites, but sporting director Walters has stood firm amid the rumours, and denied that the club have received any bids for their key men.
“I think most of the squad has only been here a year. That’s players who have been bedding in, and of course you want to keep your best players,” he told Stoke-on-Trent Live.
“You try to manage expectations but we’ve been quite fortunate that, although this player has been linked with there and this player been linked with there… no. They’re not because I’m the one who takes the calls.
“People can make up rumours and say we’re losing this player or that, but we’re not. It’s as simple as that. The sporting directors or the agents have to ring me and that hasn’t happened.
“There might be rumours about players leaving, but they aren’t true.
“People might put it out there, but it’s not happening, which I’m really happy about because they’re our best players.”