‘HAS to be’ - Stoke City fans are all in agreement when it comes to Ben Pearson & AFC Bournemouth transfer | OneFootball

Stoke City are drifting towards something of a non-event of a season in the Championship under Alex Neil.

The Potters are currently sitting 13th in the Championship table, having collected 48 points from their 38 fixtures so far.

That leaves them 12 adrift of the top-six and also 12 clear of Huddersfield Town in the relegation zone - mid-table in every sense.

What that does allow, though, is focus to drift onto the summer and recruiting for the 2023/24 campaign, when Stoke will be finally looking to move forwards and challenging at the sharp end of the division.

One player that supporters want to see return is Ben Pearson, who has produced a number of mammoth performances in central midfield since signing on loan from AFC Bournemouth and linking back up with his former Preston North End boss, Neil.

The 28-year-old has played only seven times in the Championship for Stoke, yet the Potters have lost only one of those games, winning four times and drawing the other two - against Middlesbrough and Norwich City.

Pearson's tenacity in the midfield has earned him four yellow cards since arriving, yet he's won the hearts of the Stoke supporters, too, and is the headline loanee at the club.