“Possesses the necessary attributes to justify a move” – Bristol City defender linked with Stoke City: 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 are weighing up a move for Bristol City defender Tomas Kalas, according to the Mail on Sunday (6/6 paper edition: page 150).

The 29-year old has performed well for Nigel Pearson’s side and has now caught the attention of Michael O’Neill.

Here we ask our FLW writers their verdict on if the Czech Republic international would be a good addition to the Potters for next season…

Ned Holmes

The 2021/22 Championship season was not Tomas Kalas’ best but he still has the attributes to be a top defender at this level.

His contract is up next summer, which means the Robins may be open to listening to offers for him and a cut-price deal could be done.

With Taylor Harwood-Bellis back at Manchester City after his loan and James Chester released, Michael O’Neill does need to add some more depth at centre-back this summer and Kalas could function well in the back three he’s favoured in recent seasons.

Kalas’ influence has begun to wane a little in Bs3 and now might be the right time for him to have a fresh start elsewhere.

Billy Mulley

It is an interesting one for sure.

Tomas Kalas has featured regularly for years at Bristol City, proving to be a dependable figure in the Robins backline over the years.

Defensively resilient and aerially dominant, Kalas possesses the necessary attributes to justify a move to a club who will be ambitious about their top-six chances.

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With Kal Naismith coming in, combined with Rob Atkinson’s continued progress, and then adding the competition levels beyond that at centre-back, it is unknown how integral of a role Kalas would play at Bristol City next year too.

Stoke have been through a lot of central defenders in recent times, and whilst that is a bit of an issue, his experience could complement Ben Wilmot’s more youthful talent.

Charlie Gregory

Tomas Kalas would be one of those signings for Stoke that might not get everybody excited but could be excellent as a first-team option for them going forward.

Stoke looked bright at first but ended up tailing off in the back half of the campaign and they’ll want to be consistent and back up towards the promotion spots next season. A player like Kalas could help them do that because he has proven he can be an excellent option in the second tier.

The 29-year-old has been a Bristol City regular and with nearly 150 Robins games to his name, he has plenty of experience in how the Championship works and how to keep out opposition forwards.

He could really shore up the Potters backline if he signs and it could really boost their defence. It would definitely be a step in the right direction by the club.