Stoke City set to seal £3.7m transfer raid for ex-Sheffield United man | OneFootball

The Potters are close to completing a deal for a familiar Championship face.

Stoke City are starting to look much more stable heading into the summer after a torrid end to the Championship season.

There had been intense speculation around Mark Robins' position as manager, but after the appointment of Mark Porter as assistant manager, it seems that the Potters' hierarchy are keeping faith with the 56-year-old.

With Robins set to lead Stoke into the new season, the club can now press on with transfer plans as they aim to vastly improve on their below-par 17th-placed finish.

Now, there have been reports that the second-tier side are close to completing a move for a player who has spent the last season on loan with rivals Sheffield United.

Stoke City close to completing Djibril Soumare signing

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The Potters have several holes to fill in the hub of their midfield with Steven Nzonzi and Lewis Baker primed to leave the Bet365 Stadium when their contracts expire at the end of the month.

After they depart, Robins will only have Ben Pearson and Tomas Rigo as recognised central-midfielders, meaning recruitment is desperately needed in this area of the pitch.

Stoke have now agreed a £3.7million deal with Portuguese outfit Braga for Djibril Soumare, with the 23-year-old to sign a three-year deal with the club, according to Onze Mondial.

The outlet reports that there has been considerable interest in the Senegalese, with French sides Lille, Toulouse and Strasbourg all making inquiries, but it is the English club who are set to acquire his services.

Soumare made 27 appearances for the Blades in all competitions this term, notching two assists, with around half of those appearances coming as a substitute.

Would Soumare be a good signing for Stoke?

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Soumare joined Sheffield United on a season-long loan last summer with an £8.2m obligation to buy if the club achieved promotion to the Premier League.

The 23-year-old was viewed as a natural replacement for Vini Souza, a physically strong defensive-midfielder with a high ceiling, but he failed to live up to the hype.

The Senegalese failed to hold down a regular starting berth and was in and out of the team, making just 12 starts under Rubel Selles and Chris Wilder.

Championship central-midfielders, according to Futmob.

While, on the face of it, Soumare does not appear to be a convincing signing, at 23, he has his career ahead of him while he has Championship pedigree and a Portuguese League Cup to his name.

The reported fee would take a chunk out of Stoke's summer budget, though, and the overriding feeling will likely be one of hesitance rather than optimism.