It feels like a difficult summer to be shopping for a centre-forward in the Championship. Perhaps every summer is difficult but this one is packed with clubs who seem to all be fighting over a small list of potential targets.

The list is small enough for those targets to come with a premium price but the financial constraints are so tight that it’s doubly difficult for suitors to commit. It’s not so much a balancing act as a tightrope walk, with plenty of spinning plates to deal with along the way.

Stoke City are in a position when they have clarity in what they want, which is a good starting point. They are not short of numbers but they want a quick and strong senior number 9 to come in to lead the line while Emre Tezgel and Nathan Lowe continue their development.

Ryan Mmaee will be at the club for a second season, having had a stop-start first 12 months. Perhaps an injury free pre-season would have meant speculation about a move away but he’s on the road back now and has been saying the right things and will get another chance to prove himself in this division.