Stoke City boss says Wouter Burger is not going anywhere

Stoke City need to make some smart transfer decisions in the coming months to help them push up the table next season under Steven Schumacher.

The Potters have already signed standout goalkeeper Viktor Johansson, experienced centre-back Ben Gibson and exciting wing-back Eric Junior Bocat from Rotherham United, Norwich City and Sint-Truiden respectively, and are set to be busy in the transfer market in the coming months as Steven Schumacher shapes his squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Ahead of the former Plymouth Argyle boss’ first summer transfer window, he allowed Tyrese Campbell to leave after eight years with the club, despite a strong end to the campaign, and Ciaran Clark, Wesley, Tom Edwards and D’Margio Wright-Phillips all departed upon the expiry of their contracts.

A one-year extension has been triggered on Jordan Thompson’s existing contract, while Frank Fielding and Enda Stevens have each penned new 12-month deals, but Schumacher still has a lot of work to do on the transfer front this summer.

With that in mind, we take a look at the potential deals and decisions that would make this summer a perfect one for Stoke ahead of the new season.

Wouter Burger’s impact on Stoke’s performances since his arrival in the Potteries last summer cannot be understated.

The Dutch youth international joined Stoke from Basel last August for a reported fee of £4.3m, and soon set about proving his worth with a goal two minutes into his full debut against Rotherham United in the Carabao Cup.

He was a key player under Alex Neil and current head-coach Schumacher in his debut season at the bet365 Stadium, as he registered four goals and four assists in 41 games in all competitions and impressed with his mature, imposing presence in central midfield.

The 23-year-old is a must-keep for Schumacher this summer, after a recent TeamTalk report confirmed that Stoke face a battle to keep him this summer due to interest from Tottenham Hotspur, relegated Sheffield United and two other unnamed sides from within the Premier League.