Stoke City star set for shock move to European powerhouses - 'I'm surprised' | OneFootball

FLW's Stoke fan pundit shares their thoughts on Bae Jun-Ho's potential move to Lyon this summer

Stoke City's summer window is well and truly underway, and with head coach Mark Robins busy plugging away on new additions heading into the Potteries, the former Coventry City boss will be bracing himself for potential exits.

Indeed, Stoke showed glimpses of their potential under Robins last year, fighting in and around the automatic promotion places up until November, when they suffered a calamitous drop-off in form and fell all the way to 17th.

This meant that Stoke haven't finished in the top half of any division they have been in since 2016, as Robins will be as keen as just about anyone connected to the club to end that.

Five new faces have already arrived through the doors in North Staffordshire, as Joshua Griffiths, Djibril Soumare, Svante Ingelsson, Ethan Galbraith, and Luke Graham have all become Potters for the foreseeable future, as both Lewis Baker and Steven Nzonzi remain the only two senior players to have left the club as yet.

However, that could be about to change soon, as one of their star players has emerged as a target for a continental titan, with a move edging ever closer.

Bae Jun-Ho is on the verge of a Stoke City exit after three years with Lyon interested in his services

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Bae Jun-Ho arrived at the bet365 Stadium in the summer of 2023 for around £2 million, in a summer which saw the likes of Wesley Moraes, Ryan Mmaee, Lynden Gooch, and Wouter Burger join the club under Alex Neil.

The Korean had shown glimpses of his ability with Daejon Citizen in his native country, and tempted the Potters to bring the then 20-year-old to the Potteries as a result.

Since then, Bae has scored eight and assisted 14 in 134 appearances for Stoke across all competitions, consistently proving himself to be one of the club's most exciting players.

However, things have not worked out as either he or the Potters would have hoped, with Bae struggling to find the final product when it mattered most, and flattering to deceive.

Now, with one year remaining on his deal, Bae has emerged as the subject of interest from French giants Olympique Lyonnais, who finished 4th in Ligue 1 last year, as the attacking midfielder looks set to swap Championship football with potentially Champions League football.

Football League World's Stoke fan pundit, Ryan Beresford, has shared their thoughts on Bae's impending move to Lyon, and whether a move as big as that comes as a surprise.

Ryan said: "I think in the French League he'll do alright.

"He has been inconsistent for Stoke. I'm surprised at a big move like that, potential for Champions League next season. But I'm all for the move, to be honest with you. I think he needs to move on now.

"He has adapted, but also hasn't adapted at the same time, with maybe strength and stuff like that, potentially conditioning.

"But if we can get enough money for him, sell him, move on, bring someone else in."

Mark Robins will have a tough task replacing Bae Jun-Ho despite Potters struggle

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With Jun-Ho looking increasingly likely to be heading to France, Robins will be well aware of his need to source a replacement for the Korean from somewhere.

Interestingly, fellow compatriot Lee Dong-Gyeong has been the reported subject of interest from the Potters, with the Ulsan attacking-midfielder touted as a potential replacement for Bae in the Potteries.

A clinical and creative number ten has been something that has evaded the Potters for years now; as though only a fool would deny Bae's ability on the ball, his lack of end product proved frustrating.