Stoke City must be knocking on Leeds United's door if Sorba Thomas joins Hull City | OneFootball

Stoke City should make a move for Leeds United winger Largie Ramazani this summer in case Sorba Thomas joins Hull City

With a week to go until the summer window deadline, Stoke City face a battle to keep hold of star winger Sorba Thomas, and should prepare a move for an out-of-favour Premier League star as a potential replacement.

Thomas, 27, grabbed 21 direct goal contributions in the Championship last season, being directly involved in over 40 per cent of Stoke’s total league goals for the campaign, having joined the Potters from Huddersfield Town last summer for a fee believed to be less than £2 million.

It was first reported by Alan Nixon via Patreon that Hull City’s interest in Thomas, as Sky Sports’ Rob Dorsett confirmed shortly after that Stoke has rejected a bid worth a potential £7 million for the Welsh international, with that offer falling well short of their valuation of him.

West Ham had registered an interest in Thomas earlier on in the window, as now, Hull have gone one step further and made a formal bid for the winger, though FLW's West Ham fan pundit, Ryan Horn, has previously said the addition of the Welshman is 'not ambitious enough.'

With the September deadline creeping closer, Potters manager Mark Robins will be keen to keep hold of his star man beyond this summer, but if Hull put in an offer they can’t refuse, a move for a Premier League winger ought to be on the cards.

Stoke City should prepare a move for Leeds United’s Largie Ramazani in case of Sorba Thomas exit

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Thomas’ importance to Stoke’s side simply cannot be understated, and given George Hirst is still the Potters’ only attacking addition this summer thus far, the onus on the Welshman remains the same.

Should he leave, Stoke will be in huge trouble, as Robins simply must have an alternative option lined up in case of an exit, and should consider Leeds United’s Largie Ramazani.

Ramazani, 25, came through the youth system at Manchester United, making just one first-team appearance for the Red Devils before joining Spanish outfit Almeria in 2020.

His performances in the first and second tier of Spain would lead Leeds to part ways with around €11.7 million (£10 million) for the Belgian’s services in the summer of 2024, though the winger would struggle to make a name for himself at Elland Road.

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In 29 Championship games for Leeds, Ramazani scored six and assisted two; not exactly remarkable numbers for a winger.

However, when taking into account that only seven of those were starts, and totalling less than 800 league minutes across the season, the Belgian was averaging a direct goal contribution almost every 90 minutes.

Daniel Farke often preferred the likes of Manor Solomon, Daniel James, and Wilfried Gnonto out wide, as Ramazani would be deemed surplus to requirements upon the Whites’ promotion to the Premier League, heading out on loan back to Spain with Valencia last season, scoring six and assisting one in 27 appearances under former West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan.

Now, another exit looks incredibly likely, as Stoke should be keeping tabs just in case.

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Leeds have made their stance on Ramazani clear, with the Belgian not being given a squad number for the upcoming campaign.

With Harry Wilson added to their roster this summer, and a loan move for Chelsea’s Mykhaylo Mudryk being explored, Farke is looking to further add to his attacking ranks this summer, with the 25-year-old clearly not a part of plans in West Yorkshire.

Stoke should try their luck with a loan move, or a cut-price deal for the Belgian, who could still have a devastating impact in the Championship.

Capable of playing anywhere across the final third, the diminutive forward would not directly replace Thomas, with that bar being an extremely high one to reach, but as another tricky option from the flanks, he would certainly add the flair and trickery the Potters are currently lacking in that area of the pitch.

Mark Robins must have a backup plan in place in case of Sorba Thomas’ departure

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With an exit for Thomas certainly not off the cards heading into the final week of the window, Stoke simply must have a contingency plan in place in case of his departure.

Robins is under the cosh in his role at the helm, and losing the Welsh international makes his position all the more precarious.

The Potters simply must make some additions in the final third before the window slams shut in September, regardless of whether Thomas leaves the club or not, but especially if he does.

Ramazani could be a bargain, and Stoke must have him in their crosshairs as we approach the final days of the summer.