Stoke City have handed Portsmouth & Rangers transfer envy after £2m raid | OneFootball

Stoke City signed Scottish defender Luke Graham from Dundee this summer for just £2 million amid interest from Portsmouth and Rangers

Stoke City brought in ten fresh faces over the summer for more than £30 million, as Mark Robins looks to finally end the Potters' decade-long wait for another top-half finish, with confidence growing that they may well have pulled off a huge coup in their transfer haul.

Stoke have rarely been shy about opening the chequebook over the years, bankrolled by the billionaire Coates family, and this summer has been no different, with the Potters boasting one of the division's highest net spends, even after the £10.5 million sale of Sorba Thomas to Hull City.

Among their recruits have been the likes of Ethan Galbraith, Djibril Soumare, George Hirst, Justin Devenny, Jack McGlynn, and Luca Bombino, who have taken up the bulk of their spending spree.

Time will tell whether that has been money well spent, though what is already looking to be a bargain is the further addition of Luke Graham from Dundee, as Stoke won the race for his signature despite fierce competition for the Scot.

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Graham, 22, enjoyed an excellent 2025/26 campaign in the Scottish top flight with Dundee, winning the club's Young Player and Players’ Player of the Year Award, whilst he was also nominated for young player of the year by both the PFA Scotland and the Scottish Football Writers’ Association.

His excellent year naturally enticed interest from elsewhere, as along with Stoke, both Portsmouth and Rangers were heavily interested in striking a deal for the centre-back.

Portsmouth had been interested in the defender previously, and renewed their interest over the summer, whilst Scottish giants Rangers had also monitored his situation.

Instead, Stoke would strike a deal worth £2 million for Graham, and the left-footed defender has taken to the Championship like a duck to water, and those north of the border have not ignored his progress.

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Former Monaco boss and current Scotland national team head coach Sebastien Pocognoli has recently selected his first squad for the upcoming international break, with Graham included on the roster, much to his delight.

The defender is poised to earn his first of many caps for the Tartan Army over the coming weeks, having heavily impressed for the Potters so far this season.

Robins' decision to switch to a back three has suited Graham down to the ground, slotting in on the left side of defence seamlessly and looking like a real asset.

Why Stoke City beat Portsmouth and Rangers to Luke Graham's signing

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The last defender Stoke signed directly from a Scottish club happened to be current Leicester City and Australia star Harry Souttar, with the Potters going on to sell him for around £15 million.

Now, Graham will not necessarily go on to be sold for a similar fee just because of that similarity, but still only 22 and now earning his first international call-up, he looks to be an incredible investment.

Signing on a four-year deal, Stoke have recognised the potential Graham possesses, with his left-footedness alone a huge asset in itself.

Last season was Graham's first season competing in the Scottish top flight, which, given his performances, you would never have guessed otherwise.

The heavy interest in the Scot from clubs across the rest of the United Kingdom tells you everything you need to know, as Stoke may well have pulled off one of the signings of the summer.

Mark Robins will be hoping to have found a real coup with Luke Graham

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Following the departure of Ashley Phillips from his loan spell and subsequent permanent move to Middlesbrough, another option at centre-back was always going to be a priority this summer.

Ben Wilmot, Bosun Lawal, Maksym Talovierov, and Ben Gibson each had their own injury issues last season, and with Stoke switching to a back three, another option, ideally left-footed, proved to be a priority.

Stoke snapped up Graham quickly for just £2 million, and after just a couple of months at the club, looks set to earn his first international cap, as Robins will be hoping to look back on this deal with pride in years to come, as Portsmouth and Rangers may already be feeling some transfer envy.