Stoke must speed up incredible Wolves reunion after brutal triple defensive blow | OneFootball

Stoke City should accelerate a swoop for Wolverhampton Wanderers right-back Ki-Jana Hoever this summer after a triple defensive blow

Stoke City fell to a 2-1 home defeat to Swansea on the opening day of the Championship campaign with Ben Wilmot at right-back, as the Potters have since suffered yet another blow to their defensive options.

Having endured a torrid second half of last campaign, in which only Sheffield Wednesday won fewer points in the Championship than them, Stoke head coach Mark Robins will be desperate to set the record straight next time around.

Robins will hope the additions of Joshua Griffiths, Svante Ingelsson, Ethan Galbraith, Djibril Soumare, and Luke Graham each have a positive impact on the squad, but with the window still open for another two weeks, the former Coventry City boss will surely be hoping for more additions between now and then.

Striker appears to be an area that has been targeted, despite both Sam Gallagher and Robert Bozenik vying for a place up top for the Potters, as both Sarpsborg’s Daniel Karlsbakk and Ipswich Town’s George Hirst have been linked with moves.

However, Robins ought to divert his attentions to the continually problematic right-back position, and prepare a move for a former loan star who is available for transfer this summer.

Stoke City should plot a move for Ki-Jana Hoever after a fresh injury to Junior Tchamadeu

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Right-back has proven to be a continuous area of struggle for Stoke over recent years, as last season alone, each of Junior Tchamadeu, Maksym Talovierov, Ben Wilmot, Bosun Lawal, Sydney Agina, and even Sorba Thomas were forced to deputise there with injuries mounting up.

Heading into last campaign, Tchamadeu was the only recognised senior right-back in the squad, and predictably, when he jetted off to the African Cup of Nations in January, the Potters were left with a void to fill in that area, and to make matters worse, injury in the quarter-final against Morocco kept him out for months thereafter.

Tchamadeu missed the games against Oldham Athletic and Swansea after limping off in a friendly versus Crewe Alexandra with a suspected hamstring problem, in the latest of a long line of injuries for the Potters.

Robins has since confirmed that the Cameroonian is not expected back anytime soon, saying: "Junior will be a while. Just because he’s back on the grass doesn’t mean he’s near. We’ve had to fall into that trap before and it doesn’t make sense. He has to be back when he’s ready to come back and then he can sustain fitness and be available for a longer period than he was last season."

A £3.5 million move for Harry Clarke had been agreed with Ipswich Town, but an issue in the medical has since seen that move fall through, with Clarke instead heading to Preston North End.

Bosun Lawal was taken off at half-time against Swansea, further emphasising their need for options in that area of the pitch, as Stoke could do a lot worse than bring Wolverhampton Wanderers full-back Ki-Jana Hoever back for a third spell with the Potters.

Hoever, 24, has previously spent two loan spells with Stoke from the Black Country outfit, making 61 appearances for the club across all competitions, scoring eight and assisting six, incidentally playing nearly twice as many games for the Potters as he has for Wolves since joining from Liverpool for a potential £13.5 million.

The Dutchman is still highly thought of by supporters in North Staffordshire, and should be high up on the shortlist for a potential return, as Wolves’ stance on Hoever surely makes this deal a lot easier.

Ki-Jana Hoever is free to leave Wolves, paving the way for a Stoke City return

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According to the Express & Star, Hoever was omitted from Wolves' pre-season trip to Portugal, and as a result, has been made available for transfer.

Having spent time out on loan with both Auxerre in France and then Sheffield United during the second half of last season, the Dutchman has struggled to find a home anywhere, and a return to where he played his best football should be considered.

Under contract until the summer of 2027 and not in Wolves' plans, a deal on the cheap should be viable for Stoke, as the Potters should look to sign him for a third time, this time permanently.

With Jackson Tchatchoua, Pedro Lima, and Kieran Trippier all jostling for a place in Wolves' side under Cesar Peixoto, there appears to be no room for the 24-year-old, who could yet still play a huge role in the Championship for any side willing to take a gamble on him, as Stoke should be one of those.

The Potters have been linked with a return for former midfielder Will Smallbone, as , and Hoever should be the next in line.

Mark Robins must fix Stoke City's right-back issues

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It should go without saying that Robins must be focusing his attentions on fixing Stoke's persistent right-back issues this summer, especially with injuries to both Tchamadeu and Lawal.

Whilst each of Wilmot, Talovierov, and Thomas can all cover that role, they are not exactly ideal backups and are much better suited elsewhere, as a permanent fix should be sought.

Hoever would push Tchamadeu for a starting berth in the side when both fit, providing excellent competition down that right flank, and with the ability to play higher up, could also provide an option in attack.