Stoke City: Mark Robins should look to re-unite with Coventry City stalwart this summer | OneFootball

Stoke City should target Coventry City midfielder Josh Eccles this summer to reunite him with Mark Robins

The attentions of those at Stoke City will have long turned to the summer window, with the Potters set to prepare for another year in the Championship after a disappointing end to the campaign.

During the early stages of the season, Stoke looked like a good bet for a place in the top six of the Championship. Yet, just six months on, that good form at the beginning of the year is the only thing that has kept them up.

Guided by Mark Robins, the 56-year-old boss was closely challenging his former club at the summit of the division, with Stoke's 1-0 home defeat to Coventry City in early November, courtesy of an Ephron Mason-Clark overhead kick, a turning point in their year.

Since then, only Sheffield Wednesday have collected fewer points than Stoke, with their once-promising season falling to pieces in brutal fashion.

Another summer rebuild awaits them, as Robins will be drawing up his shortlist of potential targets over the coming months, as well as having an idea of who won't be sticking around for next year.

Robins is still beloved in Coventry, and he will share that affection with the City, as he may return to his old stomping ground to attempt to lure one of their fan favourites to the Potters, who may not make the jump to the Premier League with them.

With Coventry heading to the Premier League, head coach Frank Lampard will need to be ruthless in his squad building if the Sky Blues are to stand in good stead to stay up.

Seeing Sunderland cut the game time of the likes of Dan Neil, Anthony Patterson, and Denis Cirkin, all of whom were key players in the Championship for the Black Cats, is an example of just how brutal promotion can be for those who don't have the perceived quality to make the step up.

Whether that will be the case for Coventry's Josh Eccles remains to be seen.

Born in the city and joining the club at the age of seven, Eccles progressed through the ranks with his boyhood club and was handed his professional debut in November 2018 by Robins.

It would take the midfielder a few years and a loan spell with Gillingham to make a name for himself in the Sky Blues' first team, and that he did, beginning to become a regular fixture during the 2022/23 campaign, as Coventry narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League on penalties to Luton Town in the play-off final.

Eccles has been a mainstay in the side ever since, proving to be strong competition for the likes of Matt Grimes and Frank Onyeka in the middle of the park, and previously Ben Sheaf and Gus Hamer.

Now, with Coventry likely to improve the squad across the board, Eccles could be a casualty of that success.

The 26-year-old is closing in on 200 professional appearances for the Sky Blues, and will no doubt be keen to continue his journey with the club into the Premier League.

Eccles has achieved a feat that almost every young football fan dreams of doing - winning something with the club you grew up supporting, and, understandably, he won't be looking to have that dream end anytime soon.

Lampard has a huge decision to make regarding the future of the midfielder and whether he is capable of playing a role in the top-flight.

There is every chance Eccles could play a role for Coventry, but if Lampard has any doubt in his ability to make a positive impact, he must be ruthless in his decision-making regarding the 26-year-old.

With Lewis Baker and Steven Nzonzi out of contract at Stoke this summer and no signs of a renewal, whilst the futures of Tatsuki Seko and Ben Pearson are also up for debate, this leaves just Tomas Rigo as Stoke's only notable central midfielder heading into next campaign.

Eccles would instantly come in and improve the squad, capable of stepping into several roles when required, and could very quickly become a key player for the Potters.

Whether the Coventry-born midfielder would be open to such a move, however, remains to be seen.

Mark Robins could tempt Josh Eccles to Stoke City if Coventry's future becomes doubtful

If there is anyone who could tempt Eccles away this summer, it would be Robins.

Stoke, in itself, is not the attractive club it once proved to be, and convincing Eccles to take what would be an obvious step down may be challenging.

The only way the Potters stand any chance of luring the midfielder to the bet365 Stadium this summer is if his future with the Sky Blues is made apparent that he is not needed anymore.

Eccles has only ever played under four different bosses during his career, an impressive feat for a 26-year-old, and with 134 appearances under Robins across all competitions, the two will certainly be familiar with each other, and their pre-existing relationship would be key to any deal transpiring.