Stoke City must already be the subject of £5m Celtic transfer envy | OneFootball

Stoke City beat Celtic to the signature of Justin Devenny from Crystal Palace and are already reaping the rewards from that deal

Stoke City began their 2026/27 Championship season in difficult circumstances, losing each of their three opening games, but have since bounced back with aplomb.

Stoke opened their new campaign with a 2-1 home defeat to Swansea City, and followed that result up with a 3-1 away defeat to Southampton, and a 4-1 away defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers, as the pressure piled on Mark Robins.

A scrappy 1-0 victory on transfer deadline day at home to Norwich City relieved the pressure slightly on the former Coventry City boss, but with the highest net spend of any team in the English second tier this summer, expectations remain high for the 56-year-old to turn things around.

With the likes of George Hirst, Ethan Galbraith, Djibril Soumare, Luke Graham, Svante Ingelsson, Jack McGlynn, Luca Bombino, and Justin Devenny each arriving in the Potteries on permanent deals this summer, the Potters' spending has gone beyond the £25 million mark, and whilst time will tell whether that has been worthwhile investment, the signs are pointing in the right direction for one of those.

Justin Devenny scored twice on debut as Stoke City thrashed Charlton Athletic

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As Stoke hosted Charlton Athletic on Saturday, the home side had the pleasure of welcoming back former head coach Nathan Jones, with the Welshman more than eager to get one over his former side.

Unfortunately for the Addicks, by half-time, they found themselves 4-0 down courtesy of goals from Galbraith, Hirst, and a double from Devenny, with the latter having arrived on deadline day from Crystal Palace.

The Northern Irishman, barely a week after signing, has already seemingly taken on the role as the club's primary penalty taker, coolly slotting past Arthur Okonkwo from 12 yards to give Stoke the lead after just 15 minutes, before deflecting Soumare's wide effort back on target with a deft flick in the 40th minute to put his new side 4-0 up.

The 22-year-old's impact has been immediate, though their route to his signature was far from clear.

Stoke City signed Justin Devenny for just £5 million after beating Celtic to his signature

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According to Anthony Joseph via X, Stoke have paid Crystal Palace around £5 million to bring Devenny to the Potteries permanently, with the Eagles preferring an outright sale rather than a loan, for which they had an offer on the table from Celtic, as revealed by Alan Nixon via Patreon.

The Bhoys were looking to bring the Northern Irishman, who spent the beginning of his career in Scotland with the likes of Kilmarnock and Airdrieonians, in for the season, but Stoke's offer to take him permanently was deemed to be a better deal for the club.

Now, the Potters are already seemingly reaping the rewards from pipping the Glaswegian side to his signature, and will be hoping he can continue this form beyond the Charlton game.

Why Stoke City wanted to sign Justin Devenny

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Devenny, at 22, has been a regular in Palace's squad for the past couple of seasons, helping the club to lift the FA Cup, Community Shield, and Europa Conference League.

Although he was unable to nail down a consistent starting berth in Oliver Glasner's side at Selhurst Park, Devenny's versatility and consistency made him something of a Swiss Army knife for the Eagles.

With Stoke looking to have switched to a 3-4-2-1 formation, Devenny can play anywhere across the midfield, as a left wing-back, or in the number ten role, and having become accustomed to that shape during his time with Palace, will take little time to adapt.

His adaptation time has been, as expected, quick and seamless, and he already looks to be a mainstay of the Potters side; for just £5 million, Devenny could prove to be a real coup for Stoke, as Celtic can only watch on with envy.

Mark Robins will be hoping for further Justin Devenny impact at Stoke City after an impressive debut

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After an impressive debut, Devenny has already set expectations high for his performances.

The former Palace player has been in and around the first-team fold for the past couple of years during the South London club's most successful period in their history, as Robins will be hoping that experience can rub off on the rest of his side and continue to have a positive impact.

The Potters travel to Cardiff City midweek before going to Watford next weekend after two home games in a row, as Robins will be looking to Devenny to help extend Stoke's winning streak.