Stoke City have simple Man City transfer decision to make - Leeds battering has sealed fate | OneFootball

The Potters should not look to sign Josh Wilson-Esbrand on a permanent deal this summer - he has been a poor loan signing

Stoke City will have some key decisions to make on whether to pursue permanent deals for the current loanees in their squad this summer, but Mark Robins' should have his mind up on one player already in the wake of their 6-0 battering at the hands of promoted Leeds United on Easter Monday.

The Potters have creeped ever closer to Championship safety over recent months, but they were somewhat pulled back into relegation contention last time out, as Leeds dished out a thrashing at Elland Road to take a step closer to promotion, which was then confirmed later in the day due to results elsewhere.

Robins' men had been in decent form prior to that game, and while they are not yet mathematically safe, they will feel that the four points and four teams between them and the bottom three is just about enough to remain calm about their league status with two games of the campaign left to play.

They can tentatively begin planning for next season in the second-tier, with numerous senior players coming to the end of their respective contracts soon, while five loanees will return to their parent clubs after spending time at the bet365 Stadium to further their development this season.

Left-back Josh Wilson-Esbrand has rarely featured since he joined Stoke from Manchester City in January, after he suffered a calf injury and was left behind both Eric Bocat and Enda Stevens in the pecking order in his position.

The 22-year-old made a rare start at Elland Road on Monday and was given the run around by Leeds' array of attacking stars before being taken off at half-time. His lack of impact and quality in his loan spell should make it a simple choice for the Potters to decide against attempting to sign him on a permanent deal this summer.

Josh Wilson-Esbrand has Championship experience, but he was a strange signing for Stoke

Wilson-Esbrand was originally part of West Ham's academy before he joined Manchester City in 2019, and he made his professional debut for Pep Guardiola's side in the EFL Cup in 2021, then signed a five-year contract with the Citizens in February 2022.

He has clearly been highly-rated at City for a number of years, and by Guardiola in particular, with the Catalan boss previously reported to have coached Wilson-Esbrand on a one-on-one basis to help him learn how to better understand how to play as an inverted left-back.

The 22-year-old spent time out on loan at Coventry City in the 2022/23 season under then-Sky Blues boss Mark Robins, and was a part of their side that reached the Championship play-off final that year. He also experienced temporary spells with Ligue 1 side Reims and fellow second-tier side Cardiff City last season.

Wilson-Esbrand was a surprise inclusion in Manchester City's Champions League squad at the start of this term, but he failed to add to his three senior appearances for the Premier League champions before moving to the Potters in the January window.

While the left-back must have talent to have been with the Etihad Stadium outfit for so long, and actually in-and-around the first team, he has been unable to display those abilities consistently in his time in ST4 over the last three months.

He experienced a nightmare start to life at Stoke as he gave away a controversial penalty inside the first three minutes of a 3-1 defeat away at Portsmouth on the same day that he signed for the club.

That poor start could be put down to understandable rustiness, but it is not like he has improved any, with just four more appearances before Monday's game at Leeds, amid injury issues and both Bocat and Stevens simply being picked ahead of him.

Wilson-Esbrand had a poor game vs Leeds - the Potters should not sign him permanently

Stoke had not lost in five games heading into their Easter Monday clash against Leeds, who could be promoted to the Premier League with a win as long as Burnley also beat Sheffield United.

Mark Robins' left-back selection was made that little bit tougher following their Good Friday win over Sheffield Wednesday, however, after Eric Bocat and Jordan Thompson both suffered injuries in that game that ruled them out of the trip to West Yorkshire, while Enda Stevens has been sidelined for over a month.

That left Wilson-Esbrand as the only fit option who counted the position as his most favourable, and so he was handed a rare start and a chance to prove himself to the boss and supporters that he could well be a long-term option beyond this campaign.

The reality of his afternoon was a stark contrast, as the Potters found themselves facing a barrage of constant attacks from the hosts, and two goals down inside the first eight minutes. Wilson-Esbrand was obviously not the only player at fault for their shortcomings, but it was clear which wing Leeds were targeting as most of their goals either started or ended on the 22-year-old's flank.

The Whites eventually ran out 6-0 victors in an emphatic statement of their title credentials, while Stoke were left to ponder how they were blown away so easily, with five of those strikes coming in the first-half. Wilson-Esbrand was hooked off by Robins at half-time, and it feels like little coincidence that Stoke were able to tighten their defensive efforts in his absence.

The Manchester City loanee failed to win a duel or make a tackle in his 45 minutes of football at Elland Road, and Potters supporters made their feelings about his performance known on social media both during and after the game.

It is fair to say that he is not the most popular person in ST4 following the defeat, and it seems likely that Lynden Gooch will be given a chance to stake his claim on the left side of defence when Stoke take on Sheffield United on Friday evening.

While Stoke are set to be in need of a new left-back this summer to provide competition for Bocat, with Stevens and Thompson both out-of-contract, the Leeds game has proven that they should not look to sign Wilson-Esbrand permanently following the end of his loan spell, as he is not at the standard required to play regularly in the second-tier right now.