What’s happened to Wouter Burger since he left Stoke City in summer switch | OneFootball

Wouter Burger left Stoke in the summer to join German Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim

It looks to be another disappointing year in the Potteries for Stoke City, whose chances of breaking into the play-offs look to have slipped away from their grasp after making such a promising start to the season.

Heading into this campaign, it felt like a new era for Stoke, who were set to embark on their first full season under the guidance of Mark Robins, and had made some exciting pieces of business.

Lamine Cisse, Robert Bozenik, and Tomas Rigo all joined from overseas, Steven Nzonzi returned, as Aaron Cresswell joined from West Ham to add experience to the fold, whilst Divin Mubama joined on loan from Manchester City and Sorba Thomas on a permanent deal from Huddersfield Town.

With three wins in their opening three games, things felt different in the Potteries, though that feeling wouldn't last, as since then, Robins' side have plummeted down the league, and look set for another year of Championship football.

Injuries haven't helped their case, and though their midfield has been one of the least injury-prone zones on the pitch this season, it has arguably been their weakest area, which wouldn't have been the case had they kept Dutch youth international Wouter Burger at the club.

Wouter Burger left Stoke City to join Hoffenheim in the summer

One of numerous summer exits from the Potteries, but by far the most lucrative, Wouter Burger left Stoke to join German outfit TSG Hoffenheim this summer.

Having joined Stoke in the summer of 2023 for around £4.3 million from Swiss side Basel, the towering Dutchman quickly became an integral figure in the middle of the park at the bet365 Stadium.

Signed under Alex Neil, Burger joined alongside a long list of names to make the move to Staffordshire that summer, many of whom turned out to be more 'misses' than 'hits'.

In Burger's case, whilst he was never quite able to show just how good he was during his time with Stoke, he was certainly one of the 'hits', with the Feyenoord youth product going on to make 86 appearances across two seasons at the club, as well as captaining them on numerous occasions.

His time in England would come to an end this summer, though, as he was sold to the Bundesliga for a 'substantial profit'. Although the exact figures of this deal have remained undisclosed, it can be assumed that it was worth a lot more than the £4.3 million paid for him in 2023.

Since moving to Hoffenheim, Burger has taken his game to the next level, becoming an integral figure in the middle of the park under Christian Ilzer, with the German outfit closely challenging Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, and VfB Stuttgart for the final UEFA Champions League place this season.

With four goals and five assists in 24 league appearances, Burger has not only hit the ground running since his switch from Stoke, but has excelled, and looks to fulfil his potential in the German top flight.

Stoke will be gutted by his departure, and could well have used him this season, with Tomas Rigo, Ben Pearson, Tatsuki Seko, and Steven Nzonzi all vying for places in the centre of the park in Lewis Baker's absence, with none nailing down a starting spot consistently.

The next step for the 25-year-old will be breaking into the Dutch national side and playing European football, something which he is certainly capable of doing in the near future, having excelled since his Stoke departure.

Mark Robins could have done with Wouter Burger in his Stoke midfield this season

With Stoke having fallen some way down the table over the course of the season, and injuries ravaging their options, Robins could have almost certainly done with having someone like Burger this campaign.

The Dutchman had initially wanted to move on in January 2025, but with Stoke embroiled in a relegation battle, he stuck around until the end of the season to ensure their survival, and left with Technical Director Jon Walters' blessing.

Following his exit, Walters said: "As was widely reported at the time, we turned down an offer for Wouter on deadline day in January, which he was keen to pursue, as it wasn’t right for the club to let the transfer happen at that time.

"Following further conversations with Wouter and his agent this summer, with the player having expressed a desire to play in the Bundesliga and with Hoffenheim having made an acceptable offer that represents a substantial profit for the club, we have decided not to stand in his way."

Even with Burger in their ranks, the play-offs may well have evaded Stoke this season, though there's no denying their chances of breaking into them would have been a lot better had they had Burger to choose from.