Stoke City close in on second Ipswich Town transfer amid £6m George Hirst agreement | OneFootball

Stoke City have agreed a deal with Ipswich Town to sign defender Ben Johnson on loan for the season

Stoke City have finally found a solution to their right-back woes, having agreed a deal with Ipswich Town to sign Ben Johnson on loan for the season.

According to John Percy via X, Stoke have agreed a deal with Ipswich to bring Johnson to the Potteries for the campaign, with the defender set to link up with the Championship outfit imminently.

Johnson's arrival will bring an end to Stoke's long-term pursuit of another option for the injured Junior Tchamadeu at right-back, with Robins finally landing an alternative to the Cameroonian in the form of the former West Ham defender.

Stoke City have agreed to sign Ben Johnson on loan from Ipswich Town on top of George Hirst deal

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Johnson, 26, spent his entire youth and professional career with West Ham United before his move to Ipswich in the summer of 2024, making over a century of appearances for the Hammers across all competitions.

The Englishman has since made just shy of 50 appearances across all competitions for the Tractor Boys, seeing his game time slashed in the Championship last season following the arrival of Darnell Furlong.

Now, with Ipswich back in the Premier League and having completed the signing of Abdoul Ouattara, the exit door has opened for Johnson, and Stoke have swooped in with a loan deal to bring him to North Staffordshire for the year.

Johnson will join Ipswich teammate George Hirst at Stoke, with the Potters having reportedly agreed a £6m deal to bring the Scottish striker to the club as well - two weeks after news broke of their interest.

Why are Stoke signing Ben Johnson?

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Stoke have struggled in the right-back position for numerous years at this stage, as they headed into last campaign with Junior Tchamadeu as their only recognised senior right-back.

Tchamadeu headed to AFCON in the winter and picked up an injury, limiting his minutes for the vast portion of the second half of last campaign, with each of Maksym Talovierov, Bosun Lawal, Ben Wilmot, Sydney Agina, and Sorba Thomas deputising at right-back during that period.

The Cameroonian international has missed both Stoke's League Cup clash with Oldham Athletic and Championship opener to Swansea City due to injury once more, as Stoke have been busy hunting for recruits.

It was reported the other week that Stoke had agreed a fee worth £3.5 million with Ipswich for Harry Clarke, but that deal fell through, as Aston Villa's Triston Rowe emerged as an option.

However, now, it is Johnson that will provide stern competition at right-back for Tchamadeu when fit, and with just shy of 100 appearances in the Premier League, his addition could prove to be an excellent one.

Also capable of playing at left-back, with Aaron Cresswell also out for the foreseeable, Johnson will provide cover for Eric Bocat in that position too, killing two birds with one stone for Mark Robins.

How have Stoke City fans reacted to the club's swoop for Ben Johnson?

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With the news of Johnson heading to Stoke on loan, Potters supporters have taken to social media to react to this update, providing some interesting reactions.

Johnson, whilst rarely ever being first-choice at either West Ham or Ipswich, brings a wealth of experience and excellent quality to the full-back positions, as this Stoke fan is happy with his addition.

This Potters supporter is giving the club credit where credit is due, and believes that Johnson's signing is a 'top signing' for the Championship.

Referring to the Clarke saga, this Stoke fan is worried that a swoop for Johnson will result in the same outcome as it did for Clarke, who has since joined Preston North End.