Stoke City face Everton transfer blow - Huddersfield Town agreement must be arranged ASAP | OneFootball

Stoke City should target Huddersfield's Cameron Ashia if Everton reach Sorba Thomas transfer agreement

Stoke City could be set to face a battle to keep hold of one of their prized assets over the summer, and if they fail in that mission, manager Mark Robins should repeat a similar trick to soften the blow.

Stoke City look set for yet another year in England's second tier.

The Potters, at one stage, looked like a good bet for a place in the top six, emerging as one of the frontrunners in the division alongside both Coventry City and Middlesbrough.

Though whilst the aforementioned clubs have gone on and maintained their dazzling form, Stoke, on the other hand, have completely fallen away from any sort of promotion contention.

Immaculate form would be required from Robins' side between now and the end of the season to have any sort of chance of breaking into the top six, as their hopes of a return to the Premier League have faded after a dismal run of form.

This is all despite the best efforts of summer signing Sorba Thomas, who joined the Staffordshire-based outfit from Huddersfield Town over the summer, with the Welsh international announcing himself as one of the very best players in the division this season.

However, Stoke look set to face a battle to keep the 27-year-old, with fresh rumours of a Premier League switch having transpired, as Everton is the latest club to register an interest in the winger.

Should any move come to fruition, it would be a gutting revelation for the Potters, who can mitigate the situation by returning to Huddersfield Town to complete a similar move.

Stoke City should target Huddersfield Town's Cameron Ashia amid Everton's Sorba Thomas interest

The nephew of current Nottingham Forest and former Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, Cameron Ashia has emerged as a regular at Huddersfield this season, having begun to feature more consistently since the appointment of Liam Manning.

Similar to Thomas, Ashia is a tricky, direct, pacy winger who is best off the left, with the 19-year-old attracting interest from clubs higher up in the English football pyramid, including Stoke, Birmingham, and Queens Park Rangers, as reported by FootballFanCast.

Scottish duo Rangers and Hearts have also been credited with interest in the Englishman, as the battle for his signature in the summer is set to intensify.

With three goals and three assists in 21 third-tier appearances this season, Ashia is enjoying his breakthrough campaign and will be hoping that this year is enough to propel him up the divisions, especially if Huddersfield don't secure promotion themselves.

Stoke have found huge success with the signing of Thomas from the Terriers, and if the Welshman does part ways this summer, Ashia could be the perfect replacement.

The Potters will have money to spend this summer following the new rule change, and if they do cash in on Thomas, they certainly won't be outbid by any other sides.

Given how Thomas' move to the Potteries has gone, they could use that as leverage in any negotiation for Ashia, as Robins should be first in the queue to the youngster's signature this summer if his star man departs.

Losing Sorba Thomas this summer would be a huge blow for Mark Robins and Stoke City

It cannot be overstated just how integral Thomas has been to Stoke this season.

At 27, he is entering the prime of his career, and with ten goals and nine assists in 38 Championship games thus far, the 27-year-old is enjoying his most fruitful campaign to date.

With a combined 19 goals and assists, only Hull City's Oli McBurnie (20) has more direct goal contributions this season, with Thomas level with Swansea City's Zan Vipotnik.

Having joined on a three-year deal just last summer, Stoke will be in no rush to sell, and sit in the driving seat when it comes to negotiations over a price for the Welsh international.

Bournemouth had also previously been credited with a link to Thomas as recently as January, as the Cherries searched for an Antoine Semenyo replacement, though eventually landing on Vasco da Gama's Brazilian winger Rayan.

Thomas will no doubt attract interest over the summer, though with Stoke likely holding out for a big fee for the Welshman, he won't come cheap, and they won't part ways easily.

If he does indeed leave, however, Ashia must be one of the names towards the very top of Robins' shortlist of replacements, as the Potters could complete a similar trick involving Huddersfield.