Stoke City could turn to Nottingham Forest’s Andrew Omobamidele if they cannot acquire long-term target Charlie Cresswell from Leeds United.
At the halfway point of the season, the Potters are in 19th place in the Championship going into this weekend. They run the risk of getting dragged into a relegation battle with Sheffield Wednesday, who are in 22nd place and are improving under new manager Danny Rohl.
Defensive reinforcements might be required to ensure they avoid a suspenseful season finale. Only four natural center backs play for the Staffordshire team; one of them is Ciaran Clark, 34, who joined as a free agent in October of last year.
The Potters’ defense may be overextended due to a few injuries, therefore now, during the January transfer window, could be the best moment to strengthen their back line.
Interest in Cresswell from Stoke City
Leeds’s Charlie Cresswell
The connection between Stoke and Cresswell is not new; on transfer deadline day in January of last year, the team investigated the possibility of a move while the defender was on loan at Millwall.
Although the agreement did not proceed further at the time, the fact that the team is still actively considering the possibility of bringing the 21-year-old to Bet365 Stadium indicates that they are aware of his abilities and how he might fit in with the team.
The youthful defender signed a new four-year contract at Elland Road last summer, but he has since expressed his displeasure with Leeds’ dearth of first-team playing time, raising the possibility of his leaving the Yorkshire club.
This year, he has only made six appearances for Leeds in all competitions.
The Whites are in no rush to offload the young player, who has a new long-term contract. As a result, the Yorkshire Evening Post has reported that the club will demand his full market worth in any permanent move, which is estimated to be between £4-5 million.
Many Championship teams, including Stoke, may find that amount too much, which has prompted talks about a loan agreement with teams like Blackburn Rovers.
Clubs are expected to be very interested in the gifted athlete because he has expressed his unhappiness. This and his exorbitant price tag might make the Potters search elsewhere.
Omobamidele might be the best loan option.
Omobamidele, who left Championship team Norwich City last summer to join Forest in the Premier League after a breakout season, is one player Steven Schumacher’s team might want to look into as a backup. The deal could potentially be worth up to £20 million, according to Eastern Daily Press.
The 21-year-old has only been included in the squad twice this season in the Premier League, and he is yet to play for his country. Since then, there have been rumors that the Irishman would be eligible for a loan during the winter transfer window.
In order to ensure that their young potential doesn’t spend too much time away from first-team football, it is probable that the East Midlands club would be open to offering him a loan deal for the remainder of the season.
The fact that Stoke would be getting a defender with proven Championship experience for what looks to be a difficult run-in until the summer makes this deal work, even though it wouldn’t be a long-term solution to their lack of depth in the center of defense.
That is an alternative to throwing money at Cresswell, who would be a long-term investment in a window where it is infamously hard to obtain value for money.
