Stoke City: Ryan Mmaee and Lewis Baker exit predictions made | OneFootball

FLW's Stoke fan pundit has issued two predictions for the club's upcoming summer transfer business

Stoke City will be looking to get busy this summer by making improvements to Steven Schumacher’s first team squad.

New technical director Jonathan Walters will also likely be heavily involved in the recruitment process for the Potters.

The club will be hoping to build a team capable of bettering their 17th place finish in the table last season.

Schumacher oversaw a relegation battle following his arrival midway through the campaign, with the team ending up just six points clear of the bottom three.

This summer represents an opportunity to ensure the side isn’t involved in a similar battle again in the next term.

Two Stoke City departures predicted

FLW’s Stoke fan pundit Liam Birks expects two out-of-favour players to depart the Bet365 Stadium this summer.

This is Schumacher’s first summer in charge of the club, so will also be looking to remove players that he has no use for, if possible.

“Two things that I predict will happen to Stoke this summer is I think Ryan Mmaee will leave the club, even though he was only signed last summer,” Birks told Football League World.

“He’s already had a falling out with Steven Schumacher, and a disciplinary ruling against him.

“And also, I think Lewis Baker will leave the club as well.

“It’s now Alex Neil and Steven Schumacher that Baker has fallen out of favour with.

“He can be a bit of a fan favourite, and he’s got quality delivery on his free kicks, and he can bang in a goal from anywhere, and change the game.

“But I just don’t think he seems to fit in any of the managers’ plans that we have.

“So yeah, two predictions, I think Ryan Mmaee will go and I also think Lewis Baker will go.”

Ryan Mmaee and Lewis Baker's importance to Stoke

Mmaee made 24 appearances in the Championship for Stoke last season, starting 17 times (all stats from Fbref).

The 26-year-old’s final appearance for the club came in April in a 2-2 draw against West Brom, featuring for 54 minutes.

Meanwhile, the last time Baker played for the team was at the end of April, featuring off the bench in a 1-0 win over Southampton.

The midfielder played just 20 times in the Championship, starting only 12 times, as the team avoided relegation to League One.

Big summer for Schumacher at Stoke

Stoke made an incredible number of signings last summer, but did not fare well under Neil, so will need to learn from those mistakes when tackling this transfer window.

This is Schumacher’s first summer at the club, making it quite an important one as it could dictate whether he is there for a long time or just a few more months.

This is also Walter’s first transfer window since becoming the new technical director, and he will need to make a positive impact to show he is ready to take on such a role.

This all makes it a very important next couple of months for Stoke, especially as they will need improvements in order to avoid another relegation battle.

Selling out-of-favour players like Baker and Mmaee could prove key.