Crystal Palace transfer updates threatens Stoke City plan, but one factor could flip the script | OneFootball

Crystal Palace have taken an interest in Manchester City loanee Divin Mubama, who is enjoying a spell with Stoke City in the EFL Championship

Divin Mubama is enjoying an eye-catching loan spell in the EFL Championship with Stoke City from parent club Manchester City, and having featured prominently in Staffordshire, the Potters may well want to strike a permanent deal - but with Crystal Palace lurking, one key factor could put Mark Robins' side the driving seat.

Having narrowly survived relegation from the EFL Championship last season, Stoke City have flipped their fortunes on their head and certified themselves as serious play-off contenders this campaign.

Under former Coventry City boss Mark Robins, the Potters have established the best defensive record in the league after 18 games, having conceded just 14 goals so far, and sit in 4th place, just three points off 2nd place Middlesbrough.

Stoke have seen their form dip in recent weeks, with three defeats in their last four outings meaning they have dropped some way off the runaway leaders Coventry City, yet there remains a great sense of optimism around the club that they can achieve something special this year.

Leading that charge is Manchester City loanee Divin Mubama, who has more often than not been the preferred lone centre-forward in Robins' 4-2-3-1 shape, scoring five and assisting one in 18 matches thus far.

The England Under-21 international did net three and grab his only assist in one game, Stoke's 5-1 hammering of Bristol City, yet his all-round game of linking up play and being a physical presence has seen him attract interest from Premier League outfit Crystal Palace in recent weeks.

According to Alan Nixon, the 21-year-old is seen as the long-term successor to Jean-Philippe Mateta at Selhurst Park, and the only way that Stoke may be able to bring him back permanently is by doing one thing.

Stoke City must earn promotion to the Premier League to bring Divin Mubama in permanently from Manchester City

As far as 21-year-old English strikers go on the market, they are very rarely cheap.

Having spent the bulk of his youth career with West Ham, Mubama made the switch to the Citizens in the summer of 2024, with Man City paying the Hammers £2 million for his services.

Mubama netted prolifically in Premier League 2 last season for City, and was made available for a loan to the second tier this season, with Ipswich Town also courting his signature, whilst French club Lille also took an interest in the young forward; however, it was Stoke that won the race for his signature.

If the Potters hold aspirations of bringing Mubama to Staffordshire permanently, then they simply must earn promotion to the Premier League to stand a chance of affording him.

It's unclear at this stage what sort of fee City would command for their young forward, but with Mubama standing little chance of replacing Erling Haaland in the starting 11 anytime soon, they may be willing to part ways this summer.

With hopes of Premier League football well and truly on the cards in the Potteries next season for the first time since 2018, Stoke must ensure that this ambition comes true if they want to sign Mubama permanently in the wake of Crystal Palace's interest.

The Eagles have enjoyed some of their best times in modern history in the past couple of years under Oliver Glasner, winning the FA Cup last season, qualifying for European football in the process, and winning the Community Shield to boot.

French international Mateta has led the line for a huge portion of that time, and the towering Frenchman has been crucial to Palace's success. And as he approaches 30, he will not be easy to replace.

Mateta, who is seven years Mubama's senior, has scored 37 goals in the Premier League since the beginning of the 2023/24 season, and Mubama may find it difficult to replicate those numbers, especially initially.

His loan with Stoke is his first regular taste of senior football in his career, and although he has fared well, he still has a long way to go to reach the heights of Mateta.