Opinion: Stoke City should push for fresh agreement with 32-year-old | OneFootball

Stoke City will be considering contractual decisions on a fair few members of their squad as we edge towards the January transfer window.

One man who that applies to is Mario Vrancic, who signed on a one-year deal from Norwich City in the summer.

The 32-year-old played a starring role in the Potters’ 2-0 victory over high flying Queens Park Rangers on Sunday with an assist for Tyrese Campbell’s opener before slotting home the second to seal the three points.

Vrancic has experience of earning promotion to the Premier League on two occasions with the Canaries and has added something different to Stoke’s attacking contingent this season.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina international’s versatility and intelligence has seen the likes of Jacob Brown improve his attacking output significantly this term, to such an extent that Vrancic’s services should be invested in beyond the end of the season.

Stoke have made a lot of unsuccessful signings since relegation from the Premier League and that may provide an insight into why Vrancic only received a contract until the summer of 2022. But, if the first half of the season is anything to go by, the 32-year-old has a lot to offer the club and should be tied down.

Vrancic does not rely on pace in his game very much, it is more his vision and intelligent movement that makes him so effective at the level. Not skills that will be affected with age and suggest that he could contribute at the bet365 Stadium beyond the end of the season.

Even if Vrancic was to become more of a squad player in the coming years, he was a valued commodity and clearly a good off-the-pitch influence in his time at Carrow Road, adding further reasons why he should receive a contract extension.

Quiz: Has Nick Powell ever scored a goal for Stoke City at each of these 26 stadiums?

There is an argument that his contract situation is making him play better due to having a point to prove, however with January around the corner and the risk of losing him on a pre-contract agreement or his head being turned by an interested party, the time to act is now. Sign him up.