Stoke City rued £18m transfer blunder | OneFootball

Stoke City were linked with Belgian star Axel Witsel, but instead signed French flop Giannelli Imbula

Off the back of two consecutive ninth-place finishes in the Premier League under the guidance of Mark Hughes, Stoke City were looking to make it three in a row, as the Potters continued to cement their status in the top-flight.

Back in 2016, it was a completely different time in the Potteries, as Stoke City were still an established Premier League side.

With the likes of Jack Butland in goal, Ryan Shawcross in defence, Steven Nzonzi in the midfield, and Marko Arnautovic in attack, Stoke sought to build upon their impressive squad in the 2015 summer window, signing the likes of Ibrahim Affelay, Marco van Ginkel, Joselu, and Xherdan Shaqiri. Each was a statement signing in their own right, as Hughes looked to continue his ‘Stokalona’ style of play at the bet365 Stadium.

As the January window approached, Stoke were in a good place, having recorded victories over the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United at home, with a 4-3 victory away to Everton at Goodison Park leading them into the winter window.

European football was a genuine possibility for the club, and Hughes saw the January window as an opportunity to build upon their already impressive side, with the midfield area a specifically targeted area for improvement.

Stoke City targeted Axel Witsel during the January 2016 transfer window

With Stoke already boasting the likes of Shaqiri, Arnautovic, Bojan, and Nzonzi in their ranks, the Potters rightfully felt they were a couple of missing pieces away from becoming serious contenders for not only European football but also breaking into the top six.

Nevertheless, it came as a surprise, and for Stoke fans, a welcome one, to see the club heavily linked with a move for Zenit St Petersburg midfielder and Belgian international Axel Witsel, who had made the move to Russia from Portuguese giants Benfica for over £30 million just over three years prior.

Witsel had established himself as a standout performer in his native Belgium for Standard Liege and had attracted interest from numerous clubs across the continent, including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Napoli, and Everton.

27-years-old at the time, Witsel was entering the prime of his career, and with 18 months left on his deal, Stoke smelt an opportunity and bid around £12 million for the midfielder, but were knocked back in negotiations, unwilling to meet Zenit’s asking price.

Zenit’s general director, Maxim Mitrofanov, said: “There was an offer from Stoke City. They offered about €15m to €16m. No other proposals took place.

“[Our] colleagues probably think we may ‘fail’ in summer. Witsel’s agents are dreaming of selling him somewhere, but we will be happy if he continues playing in our team.”

Indeed, Stoke would be forced to turn their attention elsewhere, in a decision they will likely still lose sleep over to this day.

Stoke signed Gianelli Imbula from Porto for £18.3 million instead of Axel Witsel

With Hughes not wanting to back down from bringing another ambitious midfielder to the club, Stoke completed a deadline day move for French midfielder Giannelli Imbula, joining from Portuguese side FC Porto on a five-and-a-half-year deal for upwards of £18.3 million.

The Potters had played Porto in a pre-season friendly just over six months before, and clearly made an impression on Hughes, who decided to make him the club’s most expensive transfer of all time, in a high-risk, high-reward switch.

Unfortunately for Stoke, it would prove to be the former, as the Frenchman made just 26 Premier League appearances for the club in two years, scoring twice. He spent the club’s relegation campaign from the top-flight out on loan with Toulouse, before then joining Rayo Vallecano and Lecce on loan moves.

He’d leave Stoke permanently upon the termination of his deal, with one year still to run on it, and would join the likes of Sochi, Portimonense, Tuzlaspor, and finally Istanbulspor, where his professional career came to an aged just 32, with his legacy at Stoke being remembered for being one of the worst signings in the club's history.

Meanwhile, Witsel would move to China with Tianjin Quanjian in January 2017, a year after Stoke tried to sign him, and after a brief spell in Asia, he’d return to the European stage with Borussia Dortmund and then Atletico Madrid, where he would continue to play top-flight football and in the UEFA Champions League into his mid-to-late thirties.

With over 130 caps for Belgium, Witsel trails only Jan Vertonghen in appearances for his country, and has, by all accounts, had an extraordinary career.

Had he signed for Stoke, who knows how differently his career would’ve panned out, and how the Potters would have fared with him in their midfield?

The decision to pursue Imbula would come back to bite them in the most brutal way, as Stoke will always regret missing out on the signing of Witsel.