Stoke City: £35k-a-week player "certainly needs" to leave alongside Jamie Donley heading back to Spurs | OneFootball

Stoke City's FLW fan pundit has urged the Potters to move on both Ben Gibson and Jamie Donley this January

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Stoke City have emerged as early play-off contenders under Mark Robins this season, and seemingly have a settled side. However, with certain players lacking any meaningful game time, the January window is not expected to be a quiet one.

Under Mark Robins, Stoke have found a settled squad.

Their back five, including goalkeeper Viktor Johansson, has largely remained the same, with only Ashley Phillips stepping in for the injured Bosun Lawal the only significant change in the Potters' defence since the beginning of the campaign.

Aaron Cresswell, Ben Wilmot, and Junior Tchamadeu have all at least clocked up 12 starts each, whilst the front four have also, more often than not, remained the same.

Sorba Thomas, Million Manhoef, Divin Mubama, and Bae Jun-Ho have been Robins' preferred front four this season, with only Bae dropping out of the squad at various stages due to injury and replaced by Lewis Baker, who, if not playing at the number ten role, has tended to play in a deeper role in a midfield two.

This consistency in selection has allowed the Potters to build up chemistry on the pitch and get used to each other, which has so far paid dividends, as they sit in third place heading into the most recent international break, whilst also possessing the best defensive record in the entire EFL at this stage.

However, with a settled side comes players who are left out in the cold, and with the winter window less than a couple of months away, it is not likely to be a boring window for Stoke.

Football League World's Stoke fan pundit, Pete, has shared their views on who they believe the club should look to move on this winter window, as the Potters' chances of recording their best league finish since relegation from the Premier League in 2018 look increasingly likely.

Pete said: "One player I almost certainly needs to move on now is Ben Gibson.

"I don't think he has started a game this season. He's way down in the pecking order, not even making the bench, so I would strongly suspect that, maybe if they could send him out on loan for the rest of the season or move him on, then he would probably be the obvious candidate.

"Jamie Donley, I think, will return to Spurs.

"That loan just hasn't worked out; he's way down in the pecking order. So, whilst it's not a transfer, it is someone who I do think we will send back."

Ben Gibson and Jamie Donley have fallen out of favour under Mark Robins at Stoke City

Between them, Gibson and Donley have racked up just 348 minutes of football for the Potters this season across all competitions, with only 77 of those minutes coming in the league.

Having signed for Stoke last summer on a free transfer following his release from Norwich City, the Potters handed Gibson a £35k-per-week three-year deal, whilst also appointing him club captain in the process.

Under both Steven Schumacher and Narcis Pelach, the 32-year-old was a regular starter, but following the appointment of former Coventry boss Robins, the former Middlesbrough and Burnley centre-back saw his game time dwindle, which has continued into this season, having not featured at all in the Championship this campaign.

Donley emerged as one of the hottest prospects in the EFL last season on loan with Leyton Orient in League One, where he scored eight times and grabbed ten assists from midfield as the Orient lost out in the play-off final to Charlton Athletic.

The Northern Irish international, still only 20, joined Stoke on loan this summer as he looked to make the step-up to the second tier, but so far, he has found his minutes limited.

Although assisting on his debut off the bench against Derby County, Donley has managed just 77 minutes of Championship football this season, with his only starts coming in the EFL Cup against Walsall and Bradford City.

It is likely that both Gibson and Donley will both be made surplus to requirements this January, and though Donley's loan can easily be cut short, Gibson's £35k-per-week wages presents somewhat of a stumbling block, and should a move be sanctioned for the 32-year-old, it is likely that Stoke will continue to pay a portion of his wages.