Stoke City ready to sell high-earner: Preston North End and Leicester City must react | OneFootball

Ben Pearson looks to be on his way out of Stoke City, and Preston and Leicester could be amongst the potential suitors

Stoke City's opening three games have contained a very similar pattern, in that Ben Pearson has been left on the bench in all of them.

The Potters have been unable to get off the mark in the Championship in the opening two games, being one of four sides to lose both their league outings thus far, falling at home to Swansea City and losing late on against Southampton.

New signings Ethan Galbraith, Svante Ingelsson and Djibril Soumare have taken the starting spots in the pivot roles at the bet365 Stadium this season, with veteran head Pearson being left on the bench in both games.

Ben Pearson looks to be on his way out of Stoke City

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Pearson is in the final year of his four-year deal he signed at Stoke in the summer of 2023, following a successful loan spell from Bournemouth in the latter half of the previous campaign.

The 31-year-old's time at the club has been a real mixed bag, not helped by the general mediocrity at the bet365 Stadium in that time. He's struggled to remain fit for long periods, only playing more than 30 league games once in the last three years.

That 31-game campaign came last season, but even then, Pearson was in and out of the side, only starting more than two consecutive Championship games once.

There's been a big refresh in the Stoke midfield this summer, with the likes of Lewis Baker, Tatsuki Seko and Steven Nzonzi all leaving, and it seems a matter of time before Pearson follows suit.

The Sentinel has reported that the 31-year-old will be allowed to move on if there are any takers, and these two sides may find themselves at the top of the list of suitors.

Preston North End

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Preston North End will automatically be the club most talked about when it comes to a move for Pearson in the final week of the transfer window, as the former Manchester United academy man's best days came at Deepdale.

The 31-year-old made 165 appearances for Preston over a five-year spell, where he made a name for himself as one of the roughest, no-nonsense defensive midfielders the second tier has ever seen before moving to Bournemouth and helping them achieve promotion.

It must be prefaced that a potential move back to Deepdale wouldn't be one where Pearson would walk back into the starting eleven. With new signing Leo Leroy and captain Ali McCann, Paul Heckingbottom's pivot positions are set.

But, as a veteran option who knows the club well, North End could do worse as a back-up, especially in what looks to be a struggling campaign themselves, if the first two games are anything to go by.

Currently, only Jordan Thompson is in reserve as a holding midfield option, so if the price is right, a homecoming for Pearson could be on the cards.

Leicester City

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There are a few potential dominoes that could fall, leading to Leicester City being a possible destination for Pearson this summer, and they come near the top end of the pitch.

Stephy Mavididi has been left out of both of the Foxes' League One outings this season. Many expected there to be interest in the 28-year-old as, even off the back of a terrible campaign for a terrible Leicester side last season, he is above third-tier level.

Mavididi netted 12 times for Leicester as they won the Championship three seasons ago, so a move back to the second tier seemed inevitable. FLW broke that Middlesbrough were interested in him earlier this month, but as we enter the final week of the window, he's still at the King Power Stadium.

Perhaps Stoke could become a suitor for Mavididi if Million Manhoef is the subject of any interest between now and September 1. The Dutchman was left on the bench against Southampton.

And, with Leicester's asking price putting off potential buyers, including Pearson in a deal to bring Mavididi to the bet365 Stadium could lower that fee a little bit, allowing a Stoke side who have already splashed the cash this summer to bring in another big-money name.

Granted, a lot has to fall in place in a short time for that to happen, and the thought of the 31-year-old playing in a Leicester shirt may not excite Foxes fans, but having someone who has spent almost his entire career in the Championship or higher could be helpful in League One.