Sorba Thomas drops worrying hint on Stoke City future | OneFootball

Sorba Thomas has remained tight-lipped on his Stoke City future following defeat away to Bristol City

Stoke City ended their campaign with a flat 2-0 defeat away to Bristol City, with one of their star performers dropping a worrying hint on their future at the club shortly after the defeat.

Stoke have finished the season in 17th position despite only Coventry City and Middlesbrough spending more time in the top two than the Potters across the entirety of the campaign.

It has been a truly remarkable fall-off from Mark Robins' side, who exploded into life at the beginning of the season to look well-placed for a spot in the top six. However, in the last 30 matches, only Sheffield Wednesday have picked up fewer points than Stoke, with the club in relegation form for the bulk of the year.

It's set to be another busy summer rebuild at the bet365 Stadium, who will be aiming to end their decade-long wait for achieving a top-half finish next season, though there remains a huge degree of uncertainty around the place, with one of their star performers dropping a worrying hint on his future with the club.

Sorba Thomas could leave Stoke City this summer after recent transfer hint

Sorba Thomas joined Stoke in the summer from League One Huddersfield Town for around £1.5 million, and has been, by almost all accounts, their star player this season.

The Welsh international had shown glimpses of his talent previously with the Terriers in the second tier, and a loan move to France with Nantes yielded little success, but the 27-year-old has taken his game to the next level this time around.

Missing just one league game due to a red card, Thomas hit double digits for goals and assists in the Championship this campaign, scoring 10 and assisting 11, with only Swansea City's Zan Vipotnik and Hull City's Oli McBurnie having more combined goal contributions this year.

His performances down the left flank reportedly attracted interest from the likes of Bournemouth as recently as January following the departure of Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City, whilst Everton have also been linked with the Welshman over the past months.

Even recently, Premier League-bound Coventry City have been touted with a move for the 27-year-old, and following Stoke's defeat to Bristol City, Thomas didn't exactly convince Potters supporters about his commitment to the club.

When asked whether he would still be around in the Potteries beyond the summer, Thomas chuckled and said: "No comment, no comment."

Whilst the Barking-born Welsh international hasn't exactly expressed a desire to leave, at least not yet, his lack of a definitive answer regarding his future has unsurprisingly worried Stoke supporters.

At 27, time is running out for Thomas to make the jump to the Premier League, and from a personal standpoint, it's difficult to suggest he hasn't earned his chance in England's top-flight, with this summer almost certainly presenting him with his best chance of making the move.

Whether any bids come the Potters' way remains to be seen, and how much they will demand for a player they paid a mere £1.5 million just 12 months ago remains to be seen, though interest in the winger is set to be rife.

Mark Robins will be reluctant to see Sorba Thomas leave Stoke City, but is unlikely to deny him a Premier League switch

Robins, since joining in January 2025, has had a turbulent spell in charge of Stoke.

He would help keep the Potters afloat after joining the club embroiled in a relegation battle, and after a promising summer window, as well as an excellent start to the season, spirits were high around the place.

Yet, fast-forward to now, and tensions around the place are high, and doubts about whether Robins is the right person to take the club forward are echoing throughout the fanbase.

Indeed, Robins is Stoke's seventh permanent boss since relegation from the Premier League in 2018, with a lack of consistency and identity ravaging the club.

Whether the former Coventry boss will be in the Stoke dugout next season remains to be seen, but in the case that he is, he will be reluctant to see Thomas depart.

Thomas has been the Potters' most-used player this campaign, as is his importance to the team, and any departure would be almost impossible to replace.

However, Robins is unlikely to stand in his way if a Premier League move arrives, understanding that, at this point in his career, the Welshman will be eager to take the next step, especially given Stoke's performance.