Stoke City will regret not battling Southampton for £9m Aston Villa deal | OneFootball

Stoke City may regret not joining the race for Southampton-bound forward Lewis Dobbin this summer

Stoke City are entering a new era, as the Potters undergo changes both on and off the pitch this summer, though head coach Mark Robins may have missed a trick in not pursuing a bona fide Championship star after a second-tier rival has agreed a deal to sign the forward.

Things have not been quiet at Stoke so far this summer.

A new club crest has been adopted, as head coach Mark Robins, sporting director Jon Walters, and technical director Stuart Harvey have been in close contact and working around the clock to seal some important transfer business.

West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Joshua Griffiths joined for £600k, whilst Braga midfielder Djibril Soumare, who spent last season on loan with Sheffield United and joins for €4 million (£3.4 million), were the first through the doors at the bet365 Stadium this summer, followed by Svante Ingelsson from Sheffield Wednesday for around £1 million, Ethan Galbraith from Swansea City for as much as £10 million per certain reports, and Dundee defender Luke Graham for around £2 million despite heavy interest from Portsmouth.

Interest in Sarpsborg forward Daniel Karlsbakk indicates the Potters are not done in the market just yet, and with another forward a priority, may have missed a trick following a division rival's recent swoop.

Stoke City may have missed a trick in not joining the race for Aston Villa's Lewis Dobbin after Southampton agree £9 million fee for the forward

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With Milan Smit, Robert Bozenik, Sam Gallagher, Nathan Lowe, and Emre Tezgel as options for the centre-forward role next season for Stoke, their interest in Karlsbakk surely means a few of those are on their way out.

Smit's loan deal from Go Ahead Eagles only became permanent recently for €5.5 million (£4.8 million), whilst Bozenik joined on a free transfer from Boavista last summer and has recently taken the number nine shirt, with those two likely to be going nowhere this summer.

Alan Nixon has previously reported via Patreon that Gallagher could be on his way out of the Potteries over the next few months, whilst both Lowe and Tezgel are expected to head out on loan once again.

Between them, Smit, Bozenik, and Gallagher managed just four league goals last season, a pitiful return to say the least, and it's no surprise that Robins is looking for reinforcements in that area.

With a move for Karlsbakk having gone quiet after Stoke saw an offer for the Norwegian rebuffed, they may be left with transfer envy after Southampton have agreed a deal worth over £9 million for Aston Villa forward Lewis Dobbin.

Dobbin, 23, has previously attracted interest from the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Middlesbrough, and Sheffield United, but now looks set to make a move to St Mary's after a deal has been agreed.

The Englishman, born and raised in Stoke-on-Trent, came through the youth system of Everton, and after a loan spell with Derby County in League One, joined Villa in a £9 million deal in the summer of 2024.

Loan spells with West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City preceded his recent one-year loan with Preston North End, with whom he scored ten and grabbed eight assists in 39 league games last season.

Now, Villa look to be getting their money back on the Englishman, having never made a senior appearance for the Villains during his two years at the club.

Stoke, who have not been shy of spending in any capacity this summer, must be watching on and wondering whether they will regret not joining the race for Dobbin when they could've, with a new forward option certainly on the cards.

Of course, the £10 million they reportedly paid Swansea for Galbraith will have taken a huge chunk out of their summer budget, though with the Englishman available for a decent fee, they will be praying this doesn't become one they miss out on.

Capable of playing anywhere across the front line, having partnered one of either Daniel Jebbison, Michael Smith, or Milutin Osmajic up top for Preston last season, Dobbin offers a versatility and a different profile Robins could have absolutely used in the Potteries next season.

With 38 successful dribbles and 39 chances created last season, Dobbin is more than just a centre-forward, as though his eight assists from an expected 2.77, as per FotMob, suggests his teammates were incredibly clinical, the Englishman has displayed his capability of finding a teammate as well as the back of the net.

Robins is looking for another forward, though a return to his boyhood city doesn't appear to be on the cards for Dobbin this summer, as Stoke will be praying this doesn't become a deal they regret not pursuing.

Mark Robins is targeting a top-eight finish in the Championship next season with Stoke City despite missing out on Lewis Dobbin

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With Dobbin heading to Southampton, Robins will be hoping he isn't filled with transfer regret by missing out on his services.

The former Coventry City boss has a tough task on his hands to end Stoke's curse of ten consecutive bottom-half finishes in a row, but has made no qualms in stating the aim for next campaign is to finish in the top eight.

More additions are expected between now and the end of the window, with the final third likely taking a particular focus in the transfer window after every other area has been prioritised.

Dobbin, assuming he passes his Southampton medical, will be heading to the South Coast, though Stoke may well have missed a trick here in not pursuing a deal for the Englishman when they could have.