“Could be a risk worth taking” – Stoke City casting an eye over 28-year-old: The verdict | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Stoke City have offered a trial to defender Terence Kongolo with a view to a potential summer move.

According to The Athletic, the Fulham player is not part of Marco Silva’s plans for the season ahead so could make a move to the Potters.

Here we ask our FLW writers their verdict on if the 28-year-old would be a good addition to the Championship side…

Charlie Gregory

Terence Kongolo signing for Stoke could be a very shrewd bit of transfer business by Michael O’Neill. Whilst not a guaranteed starter, he could be a very solid squad option for the club.

Given all the experience that Kongolo has in the EFL and mainly in the Premier League, he could be a good cheap option for the side to sign. The player knows the league, has played higher up the football pyramid and looked decent and is available for absolutely nothing too. The Potters could use some extra bodies in defence as well and he would be a good backup to have. Playing off the bench for the player is also better than not playing at all.

Stoke signing the player on trial first also allows them to see how he would slot into the first-team picture. It means they can test out the defender and sign him if they feel he could be a good rotation for the club.

Even if the player won’t feature too often then, he could be an astute signing on a free transfer this window.

Marcus Ally

Kongolo has not played more than 11 league games in any of the last three seasons, so it is difficult to judge his ability at Championship level.

Stoke could probably do with bringing in another centre back if they are going to deploy a back three again, but there is an argument that Morgan Fox would be able to slot in anyway.

Quiz: Can you remember the score the last time Stoke City played at these 26 stadiums?

1 of 26

Cardiff City Stadium - Cardiff City

0-1 loss 0-0 draw 1-2 loss 2-0 win

The jury is out on whether this would be a good potential signing, and his wage demands could make a deal less appealing, it feels more appropriate for Kongolo to maintain his fitness with the Potters before pursuing a move abroad.

It would be a short term pick-up if he does earn a contract, the type of deal that Stoke need to steer away from, they should not be looking to bring Kongolo in this summer.

Declan Harte

The defender has struggled since making the move from Huddersfield Town to Fulham, playing just once in the Championship for the Cottagers.

His stint at the Terriers also left a lot to be desired as the team suffered relegation from the Premier League.

But he could still offer a valuable role to Stoke if this deal does go through.

The 28-year-old has plenty to prove after his Fulham stint and if he can maintain his fitness levels then he could go on to finally show what he is truly capable of.

There is still a lot to be wary of, including his potential wage demands, but this could be a risk worth taking if the price is right.