4 times Stoke City got it massively wrong in the transfer window
FLW have looked at four times where Stoke City have got it wrong in the transfer market.
Stoke City’s transfer decisions have not improved their position in the Championship, despite being active in the market.
Kevin Wimmer’s signing was a waste of money for Stoke, as the defender only played 19 games and spent most of his time on loan.
Giannelli Imbula’s move to Stoke was the beginning of the end for his career, as he struggled to make an impact and eventually left on a free transfer.
Stoke City were one of the busiest Championship sides when it came to transfers in the summer.
The Potters have been a sleeping giant in the second tier ever since they suffered relegation from the Premier League.
So, this summer, it was a change to see the club actively pursue personnel changes. However, so far, it hasn’t done much to change the club’s position, as they still languish in the bottom half.
So, as we wait to see how the new signings develop at the club, here we have looked at four times where Stoke have got it wrong in the transfer window.
Kevin Wimmer
Wimmer joined the Potters during their days as a Premier League club, and he arrived for a hefty fee of £18m from Tottenham Hotspur.
The defender struggled during his spells with Spurs, and he seemed to bring that to Stoke, as he only played 19 games for the club, and they all came in his first season.
The Austrian was at the Bet365 Stadium for four years, but he spent the other three on loan at various clubs, such as Hannover 96, Mouscron, and Karlsruher SC.
The 30-year-old left the club on a free transfer in 2021, and given what the club paid for him, it was terrible business for Stoke.
Giannelli Imbula
Stoke signed the midfielder in 2016 from Portuguese giants Porto, and at the time, it was a very big deal for the club.
However, it was one that never got off the ground, as the 31-year-old stayed at the club for four seasons, and he only managed 28 appearances for the Potters.
Just over a year and a half after joining, Stoke sent Imbula out on loan to French side Toulouse. He then had loan spells at Rayo Vallecano and Lecce before leaving on a free transfer in 2020.
He has since bounced around to various clubs, with his move to Stoke being the start of the end for the player.
Saido Berahino
A player that Stoke fans will agree with, as Berahino was brought to the club in 2017 with a growing reputation.
He joined the Potters in 2017 from West Brom after really impressing for the Baggies. He spent two seasons in the top flight with Stoke and failed to score a single goal.
He then stayed with the club in their first season in the Championship, but only managed three goals in 23 appearances. But other issues started to arise, and in 2019, Stoke decided to let the player leave on a free transfer.
He was one that looked like a good buy at the time, but he was a player that didn’t suit the club, and it was a bad mistake.
Brek Shea
Stoke made a surprise signing by bringing in Shea from MLS side FC Dallas in 2013.
It was believed a couple of million was spent on the defender, but in his two years at the Bet365 Stadium, the American played just five games.
A year into his spell at Stoke, he was sent on loan to Barnsley before returning a couple of months later. Then, in September 2014, he was sent to Birmingham City and only stayed three months with the Blues.
His terrible spell with the Potters ended in January 2015 as he was sold to MLS side Orlando.
