2 players who could follow Sorba Thomas out of Stoke City this month | OneFootball

Sorba Thomas has been linked with a move away from Stoke City this January, with FLW naming two other players who could follow him out the door

Sorba Thomas has been linked with a move to Premier League side AFC Bournemouth as a potential replacement for the Manchester City-bound Antoine Semenyo, as two other players could potentially be departing the Potters this January.

It's been an excellent first half of the 2025/26 season for Stoke City, who remain well within reach of the play-off places under the guidance of Mark Robins.

The Potters were whiskers away from suffering relegation to League One last campaign, but managed to scrape survival by the skin of their teeth, and have made strides to ensure they are not in the same conversation this time around.

Sorba Thomas, who signed from Huddersfield Town in the summer, has been the Potters' standout performer, with his performances from the left flank drawing attention from Premier League outfit Bournemouth, as per The Daily Mail.

The Cherries are expecting the imminent departure of Ghanaian international Antoine Semenyo anytime soon, after his £65 million release clause was triggered by Pep Guardiola's side.

Bournemouth are now in the process of shortlisting potential replacements for Semenyo, with Thomas a real option for the Cherries.

Whether any bids will be launched for the Welsh international remains to be seen, though with the January window well underway, Thomas may not be the only one approaching the exit door in the Potteries this winter.

Eric Bocat

French left-back Eric Bocat has missed Stoke's last five league games due to injury, and following the arrival of Aaron Cresswell this summer after the Englishman's release from West Ham United, Bocat has found himself as the second choice in that position.

The 26-year-old joined the Potters from Belgian side Sint-Truidense on a four-year deal in the summer of 2024 and was the subject of interest from Standard Liege this summer, but the club opted to keep him.

Rumours of a return to Belgium have not died down since then, however, with Bocat reportedly Liege's 'number one target' this January, despite him currently out injured.

As a result, Stoke have been linked with a loan switch for Sheffield Wednesday left-back Harry Amass, who is currently on loan with the Owls from Manchester United, but is due to return to the Red Devils this winter.

Amass appears to be a serious target for Robins, and with both Cresswell and Ben Gibson also suffering fresh injuries, the Potters are currently without a fit left-back, so they will be hoping to complete this deal sooner rather than later, which may open the exit door for Bocat.

Sam Gallagher

According to Darren Witcoop via X, Sam Gallagher has been made available for transfer this January.

However, with the recent injury to Robert Bozenik, who limped off the pitch with a dislocated shoulder early on in the second half of Stoke's 1-0 away victory over Hull City, the Potters are now short in this area.

Manchester City loanee Divin Mubama has struggled to hit the back of the net since his hat-trick against Bristol City, having not scored in any of his next 11 appearances, and recently losing his place in the side before Bozenik's injury.

Gallagher netted Stoke's second goal in their 2-0 away win over Norwich City on Sunday, replacing Mubama for the second half to great effect.

Whether Robins will be open to parting ways with Gallagher this January will hinge on whether they can find a ready-made replacement, and with strikers always in high demand and hard to come by, the former Blackburn Rovers man may well stay in the Potteries for the rest of the season.

Nevertheless, his £25k per week wages, according to Capology, are one of the highest at the club, and should the opportunity arise to shift his wages, it may prove to be too good to turn down.