Stoke City set to seal £3m transfer agreement for 11-goal forward | OneFootball

Stoke City are reportedly set to complete the signing of SC Bastia striker Lamine Cisse

Stoke City are poised to seal the signing of Lamine Cisse, with the SC Bastia forward on his way to the Potteries to complete medical proceedings ahead of a multi-million pound move.

As reported on Saturday evening via X by French journalist Mohamed Toubache-Ter, Cisse is leaving for Stoke to undertake his medical in a move worth an initial €2.5 million (£2.1 million) alongside a further €1 million (£866,000) in unspecified bonuses.

Cisse is primed to represent Stoke's eighth signing of the summer transfer window, as they bid to build upon last season's disappointing 18th-placed finish and kick on in Mark Robins' first full campaign at the Bet 365 Stadium.

Stoke have undertaken a typically-busy window of activity, brokering eye-catching deals for Robert Bozenik, Aaron Cresswell, highly-rated Tottenham Hotspur talent Jamie Donley, Divin Mubama, ex-Potters midfield ace Steven Nzonzi, Maksym Tavolerov and Sorba Thomas.

But despite acquiring attacking talent such as Bozenik, Donley and Mubama, Robins has remained intent on bolstering the forward line at his disposal ahead of September 1's deadline and is now closing in on a deal for Cisse in yet another intruiging transfer capture for the Potters.

Stoke made a strong start to their 2025/26 Championship campaign by claiming a dramatic 3-1 victory over John Eustace's Derby County on Saturday afternoon.

Stoke City set to sign Bastia's Lamine Cisse

As per Toubache-Ter's aforementioned update, Stoke are set to complete the signing of Cisse in a deal which could rise all the way to £2.96 million - making it a virtual £3 million move for the Championship outfit - with the 22-year-old attacker seemingly on his way to the Potteries to finalise the transfer.

Toubache-Ter previously reported that Bastia had rejected a "ridiculous offer" from Stoke for Cisse's services, which implied that the two clubs had been some way apart in their respective valuations.

However, talks have continued to progress and Stoke are now poised to be rewarded for their persistence by closing in on the signing of Cisse.

The former French youth international came through the ranks at Nancy before joining Bastia just last summer, and would enjoy an impressive debut campaign with the Corsica-based side by finding the back of the net on nine occasions in Ligue 2 and 11 in all competitions.

Cisse finished as Bastia's top scorer but was unable to inspire the ex-Ligue 1 club to promotion back to French football's top-tier as they settled for an eighth-placed finish.

Bastia's Lamine Cisse could be an exciting signing for Stoke City

At face value, the impending addition of Cisse appears as though it could be an intriguing and exciting one for Stoke.

A versatile forward with an evidently keen eye for goal, the Frenchman has been predominantly deployed leading the line but can operate on either flank or even behind the striker as an attacking midfielder.

That positional flexibility, of course, could offer a vital outlet to Robins over the course of a toiling and unforgiving 46-game slog.

Naturally, Cisse will require time and patience to acclimatise to the demands of the Championship, and there are no guarantees he will prove a success.

Many of Stoke's dealings in recent times, particularly for overseas recruits with healthy reputations outside of the second-tier, will speak to exactly that, but Cisse will be looking to buck the trend and continue his progression in the Potteries.

The French journalist Mohamed Toubache-Ter has reported on X that Ligue 2 club Bastia have rejected an offer from Stoke City for Cisse. Bastia, who are based on the island of Corsica, have been in Ligue 2 for the last four consecutive seasons, and finished the 2024-25 season in 8th place, seven points short of a play-off place for a return to the top flight.

It is not clear how much Stoke offered for the bid but, when asked by one of his followers how much Stoke had offered for the players, he replied by saying that it was a "ridiculous offer", all of which indicates that the two clubs may be quite a long way apart in terms of their