Stoke City eyeing 24-goal striker from EFL club | OneFootball

Stoke City are eyeing a 24-goal striker from another EFL club this summer, with Mark Robins side wanting more firepower in 2026/27...

Mark Robins' Stoke City side are in need of more firepower after another disappointing Championship campaign in 2025/26.

Of course, Sorba Thomas scored 10 and assisted a further 11 for Stoke City this season, but they struggled for productivity throughout their squad. Million Manhoef provided the second-highest number of goals with seven and 11 goal involvements overall.

Striker Divin Mubama notched five goals and it's clearly an area for improvement in 2026/27 after scoring just 51 goals in their 46 Championship matches to finish 17th. Only six teams scored fewer than that across the division.

Another finish in 17th means they have managed eight successive seasons between 14th and 18th after relegation in 2018. That is something Robins and co. can improve on by adding more goals to their attack, while also retaining their best forwards currently.

Stoke City eye Grimsby Town striker Jaze Kabia

A striker or two has to be on their transfer shortlist this summer, with Stoke seldom having a centre-forward capable of double figures since dropping into the Championship for the 2018/19 season.

Steven Fletcher, Jacob Brown, Tyrese Campbell, and Tom Cannon have all managed over 10 goals but none above 14 in all competitions. That is particularly damning but they have eyes on a prolific League Two striker already.

Journalist Alan Nixon is reporting that Stoke checked on Jaze Kabia of Grimsby Town during the play-off games against Salford City. He has caught the eye following a move from National League side Truro City.

It's reported that the Potters are eyeing bargains and Kabia has been identified as one such option that may be ideal for them. However, he also has other admirers above League Two.

The 25-year-old Irish striker bagged 24 goals and one assist in 57 games in all competitions this term, having scored 16 in 45 games in the National League South the season prior. He has had a significant rise since moving to England from Cork City.

Towards the end of the campaign, Kabia smashed in three in a 4-0 win against Swindon Town. He followed that up by bagging once in the semi-final against Salford, but Grimsby went out deep into extra time on aggregate.

Stoke City need to wake up in 2026/27 - there has been too much Championship stagnation

After winning eight of their first 14 games, Stoke won seven of their final 32 matches. There is no doubt that Robins must oversee significant improvement from Stoke in 2026/27 if the Potters are to avoid another underwhelming campaign drifting between 14th and 18th place in the Championship table.

But it could be even worse than that if their end of season is anything to go by. A strong start to 2025/26 suggested genuine progress was being made, with optimism beginning to build around the club again, but their form completely collapsed from November onwards. In that period, only Sheffield Wednesday picked up fewer points.

That is a hugely concerning statistic for a club with Stoke’s resources and expectations. Inarguably, confidence appeared fragile whenever results turned against them. This summer now feels crucial and not just to add goals through potential bargains like Kabia.

Recruitment has to be strong and perhaps a little more ambitious because, without major improvement to the squad, Stoke could find themselves dragged into a genuine relegation battle next season. From 10 years ago and finishing ninth in the Premier League to now after eight years of mediocrity in the second tier, it is a shocking collapse.