Stoke City eye Sheffield Wednesday star - two Potters players will hate it | OneFootball

Svante Ingelsson has been linked with Stoke City, which could spell danger for the Potters' midfield duo

Stoke City will be spending the 2026/27 season in the EFL Championship, with the Potters having failed to sustain a meaningful push for the top six despite a promising start to the campaign.

It looks almost certain to be another year of disappointment in the Potteries, as Stoke are resigned to finishing in the bottom half of the table for the ninth consecutive season, and seventh in a row in the second tier.

Mark Robins' side made a blistering start to the year, winning four of their first five games, and at one stage were challenging Coventry City and Middlesbrough at the summit of the table.

However, a truly abysmal run of form, which has seen only Sheffield Wednesday pick up fewer points across the last 30 league games than Stoke, has meant the Potters have slipped down the table in miserable fashion.

Focuses at the club will have already turned to the summer window, as the Potters are seemingly looking to pick the bones of the Owls for one of their midfielders, which could spell bad news for two of their current midfield players.

Stoke's link to Svante Ingelsson could spell bad news for Lewis Baker and Steven Nzonzi

According to The Star, Stoke are reportedly interested in Sheffield Wednesday's Swedish midfielder Svante Ingelsson, though face competition from division rivals such as West Bromwich Albion and Preston North End, whilst Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder is a known admirer.

Ingelsson, 27, is in his second season at Hillsborough, having joined the Owls from German side Hansa Rostock in the summer of 2024, and despite Wednesday's struggles since his arrival, he has remained one of their standout players during that period.

Fellow Championship side and promotion hopefuls Millwall reportedly saw a bid rejected for Ingelsson as recently as January, whilst Portsmouth also retained an interest in the midfielder.

The Swede is once again set to be a man in demand this summer, with Stoke the latest club to show an interest in luring the midfielder away from S6 in the coming months.

Stoke's interest in Ingelsson is unsurprising.

Lewis Baker (30) and Steven Nzonzi (37) are both out of contract at the end of the season, with no confirmation on whether they will be remaining at the club beyond their current terms, as they could both leave the club in the coming months.

Ben Pearson (31) has struggled with injuries, whilst neither Tatsuki Seko (28) nor Tomas Rigo (23) has been able to nail down a place in the middle of the park this campaign.

In truth, Rigo is the only player almost certain to remain with the club beyond the summer, with the Slovakian international joining from Czechian club Banik Ostrava less than 12 months ago after a prolonged pursuit of the midfielder.

A revamp in the middle of the park is desperately required for Robins, and Ingelsson could prove to be an excellent option to begin that rebuild.

Ingelsson will be 28 when the next campaign begins, at which point he ought to be in the prime of his career, and after two years of hardship with Wednesday, he has been able to acclimate to the trials and tribulations of the Championship since arriving in England in 2024.

The former Udinese midfielder's tenacity is exactly what Stoke have been lacking in the centre of the park, and, set to be available on a cut-price deal, the Swede could be a perfect fit for the Potters.

His arrival would spell bad news for both Baker and Nzonzi, with Robins clearly setting his sights elsewhere for next year.

At 37, Nzonzi is firmly in the twilight of his career, with his return to Staffordshire not having gone quite as planned, whilst Baker has struggled with injuries this season, and is uncertain to remain with the club.

Stoke should look to rebuild their midfield this summer, and Ingelsson's arrival could be the first of a few additions in the centre of the park in the Potteries.

Mark Robins will be under pressure to get things right ahead of a busy summer window at Stoke

With Stoke having tumbled down the table in recent months, manager Robins will face increased pressure to have a strong summer ahead of, what they will hope, will be a better season next year.

Despite their dismal run of form, questions over Robins' future have never really come to the fore, with the former Coventry boss's place in the dugout at the bet365 seemingly safe.

Stoke have tended to jump from one manager to another over the years, with neither one of Gary Rowett, Nathan Jones, Michael O'Neill, Alex Neil, Steven Schumacher, nor Narcis Pelach able to claw the club back into the top half of the league.

Sticking with Robins, despite his poor run of form, may well be the best option for them ahead of another rebuild.

Only time will tell whether he is the right person for the job, but a strong summer of recruitment, starting with Ingelsson, is an absolute necessity for Robins and Stoke.