Hull City plot move for £10m-rated Stoke City star that West Ham fancied | OneFootball

Sorba Thomas has reportedly emerged on the Tigers' radar late in the transfer window

Stoke City are facing the possibility of losing star winger Sorba Thomas in the final week of the summer transfer window.

According to Alan Nixon - via Patreon - the Potters could see the Welshman move to newly-promoted Premier League outfit, Hull City, after previously emerging as a target for Championship rivals, West Ham United.

Ironically, the North Staffordshire outfit face off against the Tigers on Tuesday night in the EFL Cup second round, which will be the third meeting between the two clubs in just nine months despite the fact they are now one division apart.

Mark Robins' side have got off to the worst possible start in their Championship season, though, losing back-to-back games against Swansea City and Southampton.

Hull, meanwhile, created one of the shocks of the Premier League season just a few hours earlier by defeating Manchester United 2-0 at the MKM Stadium, but are now readying a move for Thomas in a bid to pack out Sergej Jakirovic's attacking department.

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Thomas, 27, was signed by Stoke last summer on a three-year contract from League One side, Huddersfield Town, having developed a strong reputation at Championship level during his time with the Terriers, where he was instrumental in the West Yorkshire side reaching the play-off final in 2022.

Despite being on the Potters' books for a short period of time in comparison, the 27-time Welsh international has already been the subject of exit talk to the Premier League for the first time in his career, with AFC Bournemouth and Everton linked earlier in 2026.

Stoke's form tailed off badly in the second half of last term, partly due to injuries sustained by key players, but Thomas was still able to accrue 10 goals and 13 assists in his debut campaign for the club.

It was first reported by Nixon that Hull, who are also advancing on a move for French winger, Mohamed Ali-Cho, from OGC Nice, will have to part with in excess of £10m to secure the wide player's signature ahead of next Tuesday's transfer deadline.

However, it has since been claimed by Rob Dorsett that Stoke do not want to lose Thomas, and that a package potentially worth just £7m has already been turned down by the Championship club.

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It remains to be seen if Hull are to be successful in a potential pursuit of Thomas, who has been linked with the Tigers in previous transfer windows.

However, as per Nixon's update, it appears as though West Ham's transfer plans, which have been record-breaking on two counts by Championship standards despite a winless start to the season, may have aided Jakirovic's own moves in the market.

Indeed, Thomas, who was formerly in the Irons' highly-rated academy setup, was linked with a return to East London, as well as Coventry City earlier this summer, before the second tier side opted to agree a £5m deal with Tottenham Hotspur for Manor Solomon, who has experience of winning the division, instead.

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Given his importance to Robins' side, even if it is tempting for Stoke to accept an eight-figure fee from Hull, they will hope Thomas remains in the Midlands as there is such limited time for the club to source a replacement of such calibre.

Stoke have already signalled their intentions of a play-off bid this window with big-money fees for Ethan Galbraith and George Hirst in particular, and if they were able to retain Thomas' services and rectify their poor start as soon as possible, a further message could be sent out.

The winger boasts a record of over 40 assists in 178 Championship appearances so far in his career and may feel that is enough to finally earn a shot at the Premier League, where, at Hull, he would be competing for a starting berth alongside Swedish and Canadian internationals, Elliot Stroud and Liam Millar, at present.