Stoke City know big cash windfall looms - Potters struck gold after Rotherham United call | OneFootball

Stoke City hit the jackpot with the signing of Viktor Johansson from Rotherham United

Stoke City have had a disappointing end to the 2025/26 campaign after a bright start, and focus at the bet365 Stadium has already swiftly turned to the summer window, with key contract decisions having already been made by Mark Robins' side.

Up until November, Stoke were hotly contesting Coventry City and Middlesbrough for a place in the Championship top two, having undergone an excellent start to the campaign.

The Potters would fall to a 1-0 home defeat to the Sky Blues in the Autumn, and since then, they have never really recovered.

Indeed, only Coventry and Middlesbrough spent more time in the top two than Stoke this season, more than each of Ipswich Town, Millwall, Southampton, and Hull City, as across the final 30 games, only Sheffield Wednesday picked up fewer points than Robins' side, as the Staffordshire side plummeted down the table.

Like a lot of sides across the EFL, Stoke have released their retained list, with most notably Lewis Baker and Steven Nzonzi set to leave the Potteries, whilst the club has acted swiftly to tie down Junior Tchamadeu and Viktor Johansson to fresh terms, the latter of which could prove to be their best bit of business this summer.

Stoke City hit the jackpot with Rotherham United clause for Viktor Johansson

Swedish shot-stopper Johansson has been widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best, goalkeepers in the Championship over the last few years, despite suffering two relegations with Rotherham United.

It was with the Millers where the 27-year-old shot to prominence, having previously played in the youth systems at both Aston Villa and Leicester City before making the move to Yorkshire.

Following Rotherham's relegation back to League One in 2024, a host of clubs across the second tier were put on alert to Johansson's £1 million release clause that had recently come into play, with both Sheffield United and Leeds United tracking his services.

However, it was Stoke who acted first to trigger his release clause, bringing the Swede to the Potteries in what has proven to be a rare coup for the club.

In his first season at the club, Johansson almost single-handedly kept Stoke in the Championship with his performances between the sticks, preventing 10.8 goals across the campaign, as per FotMob, behind only Burnley's James Trafford, who broke the record for fewest goals conceded across a second-tier campaign with just 16.

The Swede was on course to hit a similar tally this season before a shoulder injury sustained against Sheffield United kept him out for almost half the campaign, as Johansson managed just 25 appearances across the year.

Tommy Simkin and Gavin Bazunu stepped in during his absence, and the drop-off was evident to see almost instantly, as Stoke's solid defence crumbled following the Swede's injury.

The Potters have since acted quickly to tie down Johansson to a fresh four-year deal at the bet365 Stadium, formally recognising his importance to the club, in a move which could be huge for Stoke.

His previous deal was due to expire in the summer of 2027, meaning that had they not extended his current terms, then they'd have risked losing him on a free next year if he wasn't sold.

At 27 and among the very best keepers in the league, if Johansson continues to perform the way he does, a Premier League move beckons at some stage, as if Stoke can't earn promotion with the Swede, they can surely make a huge profit off of him.

It's bound to be a huge summer for Mark Robins' side, who will be looking to go on as they have started following the excellent news regarding Johansson.

Mark Robins will be looking for Viktor Johansson to continue to lead by example at Stoke City following contract extension

Although Stoke's form fell off a cliff under Robins for numerous reasons, the former Coventry boss's position at the helm hasn't come under as much scrutiny as it may have done, as he looks set to lead the Potters into the summer once again.

Having rebuilt Coventry from the ground up, his job with Stoke isn't quite as severe, though, given the club's disastrous finishes over the past decade, the job at the bet365 Stadium is arguably more difficult.

It will be another huge summer for Robins and Stoke, who must ensure they get things right this time around, otherwise it could be back to square one yet again.

Johansson, barring any unforeseen circumstances, will definitely be between the sticks in Staffordshire next season, and Robins will be hoping he can continue to lead by example following his fresh contract.