Stoke City must seal new agreement for £2m star - Mark Robins should push it through | OneFootball

Stoke City must tie defender Ben Wilmot down to fresh terms this summer

Stoke City look destined for another year in the Championship, after their hopes of a spot in the top six have all but evaporated after a dismal run of form.

In what has been Mark Robins' first full season in charge at the bet365 Stadium, Stoke have almost definitely improved on last season's showing, though supporters may arguably be even more frustrated with this year's outcome.

Beginning the campaign with three wins on the bounce and closely challenging both Coventry City and Middlesbrough in the early stages, Stoke emerged as a good bet for a spot in the play-offs, but those odds have since been slashed.

Since the beginning of December, Robins' side have won just four of their 17 league games, seeing them almost completely slip away from the top six and even the top half entirely.

The hope will be what frustrates supporters the most, as injuries have ravaged the squad and not helped their quest, with the likes of Vitkor Johansson, Junior Tchamadeu, Lewis Baker, Divin Mubama, Robert Bozenik, and Ben Wilmot missing various stages of the season.

Wilmot, in particular, will not feature for the rest of the season, which is a huge blow, as Robins must make a big decision heading into the summer to ensure he hasn't played his last game for the club.

Mark Robins must tie Ben Wilmot down to fresh terms at Stoke City

With the season coming to a close, decisions on contracts must be made, and there will be few more significant ones at Stoke this summer than that of Wilmot's.

Having progressed through the academy of Stevenage, Wilmot joined Watford in 2018 and spent time out on loan in Italy with Udinese and in Wales with Swansea City, before playing a big role in the Hornets' promotion to the Premier League in 2021.

However, he wouldn't make the step up to the top flight, and subsequently joined Stoke for a fee believed to have been between £1.5 million and £2 million, and has since spent the last five years with the Potters, making just shy of 200 appearances for the club across all competitions.

The former England youth international has excelled this campaign, especially in the early stages, as he, alongside one of Bosun Lawal and Ashley Phillips, formed one of the best defences in the division.

With his deal set to expire this summer, the Potters do hold the option to extend his current terms by another 12 months if they wish, and it would be surprising if they did not do so.

However, the club should instead offer the 26-year-old fresh terms to extend his stay in the Potteries beyond this summer and to commit his long-term future to the club, with Wilmot now one of the longest-serving members of the squad.

According to estimates from Capology, Wilmot earns around £20k p/w at Stoke, making him one of the club's top earners, though given his age and how long he has been at the club, it's understandable as to why.

The Englishman has been one of the club's most consistent performers for some time, and simply cannot afford to lose him for nothing once his deal expires, and should look to tie him down on fresh terms as soon as possible.

Ben Wilmot has been an excellent servant for Stoke City, who must ensure they don't lose him for nothing

In any instance, it's unlikely that Wilmot will leave for nothing this summer, with Stoke likely triggering his extension option regardless of any other outcome.

However, that comes with the risk that he will just run down his deal the following season, which is something that simply cannot be allowed to happen.

By that point, he will be 27, and in the prime of his career, and with Stoke having been especially poor at selling players over the years, it's a trend which cannot continue in the case of Wilmot.