Breaking News: Stoke City has formally confirmed the signing of C’s Chelsea incredible star, with medical work still pending, according to a report from Sky Sports this afternoon.

Latest News and gossip from the bet365 Stadium as Stoke City prepare for important summer transfer window under head coach Steven Schumacher and sporting director Jonathan Walters

Stoke City are heading into another pivotal summer transfer window and a chance to make sure the club is pointing back towards the Premier League.

The Potters have not been able to break a cycle of bottom half finishes since relegation in 2018, and it took play-off standard form in the last two-and-a-bit months of this season to win a battle against dropping into League One.

But new key figures will have a big say in what happens next ahead of a summer when there is scope to make significant changes, if not the same amount as happened last year. Steven Schumacher arrived as head coach in mid-December while Jon Walters joined in late February to become sporting director. Here is a run through of where Stoke stand going into the next few months…

Senior players released, retained and in talks

Tyrese Campbell has left Stoke after eight years, ending on a high with a standing ovation after scoring in a final-day 4-0 win over Bristol City.

A 12-month option has been taken on Jordan Thompson’s contract, Frank Fielding is staying as third-choice keeper and Stoke are in talks to keep veteran left-back Enda Stevens, it has been confirmed.

Centre-back Ciaran Clark and striker Wesley move on. Back-up keeper Blondy Nna Noukeu has also confirmed he is leaving.

A full retained list is to be confirmed in due course with decisions about players including Tom Edwards, D’Margio Wright-Phillips, David Okagbue and Matty Baker, who have been out on loan.

Loan players return to their parent clubs

Daniel Iversen, Ki-Jana Hoever, Luke McNally, Luke Cundle and Sead Hakšabanović have ended their stays at Stoke. Schumacher has talked positively about the contributions of all five, three of whom – Hoever, McNally and Haksabanovic – he inherited in December while Iversen and Cundle arrived in January.

The head coach added after the final day win: “The loan players have done brilliantly. They’ve been excellent and I’ll thank them for their efforts, and if I ever have the chance to work with them again I would because they’re all good lads, all honest, all try their best and have been brilliant since I’ve been here.

“Ki-Jana in the last two months has shown the quality he’s got. Daniel made a brilliant save today at 1-0 and the game could have been different. Luke Cundle has shown in the last month or two how good a player he is when he has got people who will pass the ball to him. Luke McNally all season I think has been really consistent. I’m really pleased for all four of them and I’d love to work with them again.”