The 7 players set to leave Stoke City in 2027 ft £3.4m forward | OneFootball

The 7 players set to leave Stoke City in 2027 ft £3.4m forward | OneFootball

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·13 September 2026

The 7 players set to leave Stoke City in 2027 ft £3.4m forward

Article image:The 7 players set to leave Stoke City in 2027 ft £3.4m forward

FLW takes a look at the seven players set to leave Stoke City next summer following the expiry of their current contracts

Mark Robins has overseen another busy window at Stoke City as the Potters look to finally end their decade-long wait for another top-half finish, though as it stands, another busy summer in 2027 awaits.


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Stoke opened their Championship season with three defeats on the spin, and though results have picked up recently, the pressure is still firmly on former Coventry City boss Robins to turn the club's fortunes around.

The Potters finished the recent summer window with one of the highest net spends in the entire Championship, despite the £10.5 million sale of Sorba Thomas, as the likes of George Hirst, Ethan Galbraith, Djibril Soumare, Luke Graham, Jack McGlynn, and Justin Devenny among the ten fresh faces at the bet365 Stadium for in and around a combined £30 million.

Whether these will have the positive impact those at Stoke will be hoping for remains to be seen, but as FLW takes a look at the club's current contract situation ahead of next summer, another busy few months in 2027 could be on the horizon as things stand.

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Dutch forward Million Manhoef joined Stoke in January 2024 from Vitesse for around £3.4 million, and has since gone on to amass over a century of appearances for the club, predominantly off the right flank.

However, with Stoke seemingly having switched to a 3-4-2-1 system since their 1-0 home victory over Norwich City, this has left the 24-year-old without an obvious place in the side and, in turn, more competition.

One of the two attacking-midfield roles behind the main centre-forward appears to be the obvious position for Manhoef, but with Devenny, McGlynn, Bae Jun-ho, Lamine Cisse, Robert Bozenik, and Sam Gallagher for competition, his game time could be slashed this year.

Out of contract next summer, the ship has sailed for the Potters to get their money back on the winger, as should he not extend terms in North Staffordshire, an exit sooner rather than later is inevitable.

Bae Jun-ho

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South Korean attacking-midfielder Bae Jun-ho endured a summer shrouded in uncertainty, having been the subject of bids from French giants Lyon.

However, they could not match Stoke’s valuation of the 23-year-old, and despite heading into the final year of his deal with the club, his place in the side remains unclear.

Stoke paid Daejeon Hana Citizen around £2 million to bring him to the United Kingdom in the summer of 2023, and though he is nearing 150 appearances for the Potters, he has never reached the heights those at the club would’ve hoped.

An exit this summer seemed certain, and with it being unlikely he signs a fresh deal between now and January, a free transfer away from the club next summer appears a very real possibility.

Sam Gallagher

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Sam Gallagher agreed a three-year deal to join Stoke for around £1.5 million in the summer of 2024 from division rivals Blackburn Rovers as one of Steven Schumacher's marquee signings.

However, injury woes have consistently plagued the former Southampton striker's minutes for the club, making just shy of 50 appearances for Stoke across all competitions in over two years in the Potteries.

Whether he pens fresh terms or not will largely depend on whether he can keep fit this campaign, as at 30, he will surely need a solid campaign under his belt to stand a chance of extending his stay beyond 2027.

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Ben Pearson has fallen down the pecking order in the Potteries after the summer arrivals of Galbraith, Soumare, and Svante Ingelsson, and with Tomas Rigo still at the club for competition, the former Preston North End midfielder will do well to earn many meaningful minutes this season.

With the most yellow cards accumulated in Championship history (95), Pearson cannot be relied upon on a week-in, week-out basis, as the 31-year-old will need something pretty special to extend his stay at the club beyond his current terms.

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Ben Gibson joined the same summer as Gallagher, as one of Schumacher's marquee signings following his release from Norwich City.

With just shy of 250 Championship appearances under his belt, the Englishman appeared to be a solid signing, but with Schumacher dismissed after four games and Narcis Pelach's time at the club being an unmitigated disaster, Gibson has nosedived in the pecking order since Robins took to the helm in January 2025.

His extortionate wages are the main reason he remains at the club to this day, as Stoke will be keen to offload his pay packet next summer; unless he signs heavily reduced terms, his stay in the Potteries ends in 2027.

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36-year-old left-back Aaron Cresswell penned a one-year deal with Stoke in the summer of 2025 following his release from West Ham United, and overtook Eric Bocat in the pecking order at the club.

However, consistent injury problems, including a long-term one sustained in pre-season, have kept him out of action for the opening stages of this campaign, and at this stage, it's unlikely he will extend his stay another year.

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Frank Fielding has served as an emergency option at the club since joining in December 2021, making just one competitive appearance for the club since.

A favourite among the squad off the pitch, Fielding will be looking for another fresh deal beyond 2027, as whether Stoke value his worth enough to extend his stay until 2028 remains to be seen.

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