Stoke City beating Bristol City to Brighton deal is even more important after exit confirmed: View | OneFootball

The Potters are in a battle with their Championship rivals for a potential signing from the Premier League

As with any club, Stoke City are still getting business done in the final few weeks of the summer transfer window.

The Potters have already brought in six new first-team players for Steven Schumacher's squad, as they aim to stay clear of another Championship relegation battle this season.

But despite those additions, they have of course, also been forced to deal with the departures of other individuals from the Bet365 Stadium this summer.

The latest of those to have bid farewell to Stoke City since the market opened is Mehdi Leris.

Winger's departure from the Potters confirmed

Last summer, Leris left Italian side Sampdoria, to complete a permanent move to the Bet365 Stadium.

The 2023/24 season then saw him make 33 appearances in all competitions for the Potters, scoring three goals and providing three assists in that time.

However, his stay with Stoke ultimately proved to be a brief one, with it being confirmed on Tuesday that the winger has returned to Italy to sign for second-tier side Pisa.

That is despite there being two years left on his contract. The Potters' sporting director, Jonathan Walters, also confirmed that the club had not wanted to let the 26-year-old leave this summer.

But with Leris now gone, there is an argument that winning the race for another of their apparent transfer targets is now even more important for Stoke City.

Brighton man being chased by clubs including Stoke City

According to a recent report from The Athletic, the Potters are currently keen to sign attacking midfielder Andrew Moran on loan from Premier League side Brighton.

However, they are not alone with their interest in the 20-year-old, with Bristol City also thought to be among a number of Championship clubs keen to secure his services for the coming campaign.

But given the blow they have just been dealt by losing Leris despite wanting to keep him, Stoke now surely need to make sure they win this particular transfer battle.

Moran is no stranger to the Championship, having spent last season on loan in the division with Blackburn Rovers.

He should therefore be well-prepared for a return to this level. It should also be noted many of his best performances last season came early in the campaign when he was playing as a right-winger.

Given that is where Leris' departure has now left a void in the Stoke squad, that could make winning the race for his service vital for Schumacher's side.

In doing so, they would be getting the cover in that area they now need, with a player who they have already seen can do a job at this level when playing there.

Of course, it could also be noted that two other attackers Moran played alongside at Blackburn last season - Niall Ennis and Sam Gallagher - are now part of the Potters' squad.

The fact they already know each other and their styles of play, could therefore help them to settle quickly, and bring the best out of them during their time with Stoke.

With Moran's versatility also ensuring he can play in a variety of attacking midfield roles, he could - if needed - do more than simply fill the void left out on the right by the departure of Leris.

That too further adds to the significance of this potential deal, in terms of what he could offer to the Potters.

Preventing rivals from strengthening with this sign could also prove important for Scumacher's side when they come up against the likes of Bristol City further down the line while they've already lost out to one target to the Robins in Sinclair Armstrong.

With all that in mind, it does seem as though moving quickly to secure the services of Moran would go a long way to ease the disappointment being felt around Stoke, about the exit of Leris.