For the past seven seasons, Stoke City have showed why they deserved to be part of the Premier League.
This was mainly due to strong and consistent performances, but also to a slow and steady development within the team. With the addition of high profile players, Stoke City was able to fortify their mid-table position in the BPL and even finishing 9th for two consecutive years. The strong performances and form Stoke City often demonstrate in Britannia Stadium are another indication that the club is on the right track. Coming of their best season yet, amassing 54 points and finishing in 9th position, Stoke City’s summer transfers showed that the club is ready to aim higher.
Compared to the previous summer transfer period with only little investments, Stoke City turned the tables around during this year, adding 11 players to the squad. Although Stoke City lost two key players of the past season in Steven N’Zonzi and Asmir Begovic, they were able to invest the transfer money wisely. Even if none of the three goalkeepers (Butland, Given, and Haugaard) are on the same level as Begovic, having the choice between three good goalkeepers will spur competitiveness and strong performances from all of them.
In order to strengthen their defensive line, Stoke City bought Philipp Wollscheid from Bayer Leverkusen after a half-season loan spell at Britannia Stadium. The other addition to the line up is Glen Johnson, who left league rivals Liverpool and hopes for a better future and more playing time at Stoke City. His performance against his former club was not the greatest, but he definitely showed promising aspects.
Another great signing is attacking midfielder and winger Ibrahim Afellay from FC Barcelona. The Dutch international, who played 50 times for the National team, brings speed, experience, and skills to the British club. If he stays fit, he will have to play an important role in the club’s success this season.
In order to reinforce the midfield, Stoke City signed Marco van Ginkel from Chelsea on loan. The Dutch international is only 22 years of age and has great skills in a central midfield role. He definitely has potential to play a big part for Stoke City this season, and playing for a mid-table club will also be beneficial for the development of the Dutch talent.
Spotting former Bayern Munich star and Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri in the stands today definitely increased the hopes of many Stoke City fans in signing the quick winger. Shaqiri, who was already approached by Stoke City in January, might be very close to sign with the British side. In January, Shaqiri, however, refused to join Stoke City and sided with Inter Milan instead. But the lack of form and the lack of strong consistent performances indicate an early departure from the Italian team.
Shaqiri would be a tremendous addition to Stoke City and will further add to the higher ambitions the club is having. Unfortunately the Swiss international failed to impress over recent seasons and was never really part of the Bayern Munich or Inter Milan squad. The lack of strong performances did definitely affect Shaqiri’s talent and status, but a move to Stoke City could also be highly beneficial for the Swiss winger.
Mark Hughes, Stoke City head coach, was hopeful after Sunday’s home loss to Liverpool that Stoke City could sign Xherdan Shaqiri this time. The club is even ready to invest a club record £12 million fee for the Swiss international, which would mean that the hopes and pressure on Shaqiri are enormous. Although only 5’7”, Shaqiri often demonstrates incredible body strength, acceleration, speed, and technical skills. His passing and shooting ability are also strong attributes and would definitely add more attacking power to Stoke City.
Another key factor in this transfer should be that Xherdan Shaqiri performed great in a lower ranked club FC Basel. Although he was never able to really impress for a world class side, his leadership abilities were demonstrated at Basel and Shaqiri could definitely make the same impact at Stoke City.
After a strong performance against Liverpool with a late 1-0 defeat, Stoke City definitely showed that they will be no pushovers this season. With strong home performances and a constantly developing squad, Stoke City definitely has what it takes to fortify a Top 10 position, and maybe even go for more. Adding Xherdan Shaqiri to the squad would definitely increase the chances and he might as well be the last piece of the puzzle for Stoke’s most successful season yet.
