Stoke City: Bullish transfer stance amid Leeds interest justified in Plymouth win - View | OneFootball

Million Manhoef was the Potters' star man at Home Park

Stoke City fans will be thankful that the club did not bow to pressure to sell Million Manhoef this summer after his starring role in their win at Plymouth Argyle last time out.

Manhoef only joined the Potters on a three-and-a-half-year deal from Eredivisie outfit Vitesse in the January transfer window but has fast become one of their, and the Championship's, most exciting wingers in his short time in English football so far.

The Dutch under-21 attacker registered four goals and an assist in 14 games after his arrival, as he played a key role in Stoke's eventually successful bid to avoid relegation to League One.

As a result, he was the subject of reported transfer interest from fellow Championship side Leeds United over the summer, but Stoke were unwilling to part with his services so soon, and that decision has been justified by his performances at the start of this season, and not least in his most recent outing at Home Park.

Stoke made their stance clear amid Leeds' Manhoef interest

TEAMtalk reported in mid-August that Leeds were one of a number of second-tier teams exploring a move for the 22-year-old right winger, following his strong end to last season, but he was only a Plan B to the Whites' potential deal for Norwich winger Jonathan Rowe.

The Potters were understandably reluctant to allow him to leave though, and the same report stated that the club had put a price tag of upwards of £10m to prise him from ST4, a price they hoped would dissuade the Whites from furthering up their interest with a concrete bid.

Reports of a potential Manhoef exit did not die down though, as TEAMtalk again claimed a week later that the Elland Road side were prioritising a double deal for the 22-year-old and Burnley winger Manuel Benson, as they looked set to miss out on Rowe.

Despite the reports, Potters sporting director Jon Walters insisted that any rumours around key players such as Manhoef leaving "(weren't) true" and so he has remained at the bet365 Stadium past the transfer deadline.

Plymouth showing explains Stoke's strong stance

Manhoef has carried his strong form from the end of last season into this campaign, and he has really stepped up in the last few weeks to become a key man for Schumacher amid injuries to 2023/24 Player of the Season, Bae Jun-ho, and Andre Vidigal.

He laid on an assist for both Lewis Baker and Lewis Koumas in each of Stoke's first two home league games against Coventry City and West Brom respectively, and then netted a brace after being substituted on in the Potters' 5-0 rout of Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup second round last week, so it was no surprise to see him step up yet again at Plymouth when Schumacher's men needed a moment of inspiration.

He stretched Argyle's defence numerous times in the opening stages of the game with some line-breaking runs off the right side and had three shots on target in the first half but was denied each time by some top goalkeeping from keeper Conor Hazard.

Manhoef was fouled twice, created a chance and completed three passes into the final third throughout the game, while he dispossessed Greens' players on ten different occasions as he led Schumacher's energetic high-press system with confidence that has been developed over his last few months of consistent game-time.

His crowing moment came with just seven minutes of normal time left though, as he picked up Sol Sidibe's pass on the right side of the Argyle box, did his trademark cut inside onto his favoured left foot, and then fired in at Hazard's near post to send the away end into raptures and seal Stoke's first league away win of the campaign on Schumacher's first visit to his old stomping ground.

His influence on Stoke's team as of late cannot be understated, and his crucial intervention in Devon is just another big moment in an already long list of huge goals in red and white despite only being at the club for nine months so far.

As every week passes, Manhoef is proving why Stoke were correct to put such a price tag on him last month amid transfer interest, and he could be Schumacher's talisman this season as the club finally make an attempt to finish in the top half of the Championship for the first time since relegation in 2018.