5 Stoke City players that could follow Mark Robins out of the club this summer | OneFootball

FLW takes a look at five players who could follow Mark Robins out of Stoke City this summer

A huge summer window is on the horizon for Stoke City, with the Potters looking to put an end to their 10-year top-half exodus next campaign and have some huge decisions to make regarding the future of numerous players.

Preparations for next season will have begun at almost all clubs across the EFL, especially for those not involved in the play-offs.

Stoke are one of those, with a huge degree of uncertainty surrounding the club at the moment, as Football League World has recently exclusively revealed that the Potters are outlining alternatives to Mark Robins in case the 56-year-old is dismissed.

The former Coventry boss signed a fresh three-and-a-half-year deal in the Potteries as recently as November 2025, tying him down to the summer of 2029, though he could well be gone well before then.

With Robins future uncertain after an abysmal run of form in the second half of the season, where only Sheffield Wednesday picked up fewer points than the Potters, FLW have taken a look at five players who could follow him out of the exit door at the bet365 Stadium this summer.

Sorba Thomas

Stoke's Player of the Season award winner, and it's not really been close, Sorba Thomas has had a superb individual campaign, scoring ten and assisting 11 in 45 Championship league games, missing just one fixture due to a red card.

Signed from League One Huddersfield Town in the summer for around £1.5 million, the Welshman has been a rare bargain for Stoke, but whether his future lies in North Staffordshire next season remains to be seen.

After Stoke's final game of the campaign, a 2-0 defeat away to Bristol City, when asked about his future, Thomas merely replied: "No comment", sparking speculation that he could well leave the club in the coming months.

Premier League side Everton have shown interest in Thomas over recent weeks, whilst Bournemouth reportedly eyed up a move in January, though no formal move was ever confirmed.

The Potters will be desperate to keep hold of their star performer, who is under contract until the summer of 2028, though should an acceptable bid arrive, a top-flight move almost certainly beckons for the 27-year-old.

Bae Jun-ho

A player who divides opinion, though only a fool would doubt his talent, Bae Jun-ho has fallen short of expectations during his time in the Potteries and could be on the move this summer.

The 12-capped South Korean international, who will be representing his country at the upcoming World Cup, has made 134 appearances for Stoke across three seasons, but has managed just eight goals and 14 assists in that period, with his lack of end product in the final third frustrating supporters.

His contract is due to expire in the summer of 2027, and should he not sign a new deal in the next few months, he will almost certainly be moved on before Stoke loses him for nothing.

Still only 22, Jun-ho is arguably the most talented player in the Potters squad, but having now played under four different permanent head coaches in numerous positions across several systems, he cannot afford to stall his development for much longer, and should amicably part ways this summer for the best for his career.

Million Manhoef

Another player who has frustrated supporters more often than not has been Dutch winger Million Manhoef.

Manhoef, 24, scored seven and assisted three across 45 Championship games for Stoke this season, predominantly playing off the right flank, and his output took a major hit when first-choice right-back Junior Tchamadeu linked up with the Cameroon squad at AFCON and was then subsequently injured.

Similarly to Jun-ho, only a fool would deny his technical ability, as there will be few players in the division better at dribbling than him, though with his deal also set to expire in 2027, should he not sign a new deal in the next few months, he could be moved on before they lose him for nothing.

Coventry City and Ajax have both been reported to have an interest in the winger, who, at this point, looks more likely to depart than stay.

Eric Bocat

Left-back Eric Bocat has balanced his playing time with Aaron Cresswell for the majority of the campaign, and saw himself become a regular in the latter stages of the year after the former West Ham defender picked up a long-term injury.

The Frenchman, signed from Belgian side Sint-Truiden in the summer of 2024, has consistently been linked with a return to the nation, with Standard Liege sustaining a long-term interest in the 26-year-old.

Bocat is on a deal running until 2028 with the Potters, and whether he remains a part of plans at the bet365 Stadium remains to be seen, but with interest across the continent persisting, as well as Cresswell being offered a one-year extension, he could well be on the move this summer.

Nathan Lowe

Nathan Lowe lit up League Two for Walsall during the first half of the 2024/25 season, with 15 goals and five assists in just 22 appearances, but following his recall shortly after, he has failed to hit the same heights.

Loan spells with Stockport County, and most recently Wycombe Wanderers in League One, followed, where he has shown glimpses of his goalscoring ability, but glimpses is what it has been limited to.

With Sam Gallagher, Milan Smit, and Robert Bozenik ahead of him in the current pecking order as things stand, the 20-year-old has no clear place in the squad and could be sold this summer as the Potters attempt to raise funds.