At one point in the campaign, it looked almost certain that Stoke City would finally finish in the top half of the Championship table, after seven consecutive seasons of bottom-half finishes since relegation from the Premier League in 2018.
Under the guidance of former Coventry City boss Mark Robins, the Potters began the season excellently, challenging both Middlesbrough and the Sky Blues at the summit of the table in the early stages of the campaign.
However, they have since been unable to sustain that form and suffered a significant drop in the division, with a place in the top six now unlikely and a place in the top half far from confirmed.
Despite this, they remain on course for a much-improved campaign than that of last year’s, having only narrowly survived on the final day of the season by one point.
Signs of improvement at Stoke, both on and off the pitch, are evident, with the best defensive record in the league and, on the face of it, an improved recruitment strategy that they hope will pay dividends in years to come.
Though heading into the summer, there remains a lot of surgery needed on the squad if they are to become real challengers for Premier League football anytime soon, with both incomings and outgoings required.
With that being said, FLW has taken a look at two players who could leave the Potteries this summer.
Signed in the summer of 2024 on a free transfer after his release from Norwich City, 33-year-old Ben Gibson penned a three-year contract at the bet365 Stadium, taking him all the way through to his 34th birthday.
Gibson joined whilst the club was under the watch of current Bolton Wanderers boss Steven Schumacher, and whilst, on the face of it, his addition appeared to be a quality one, it has not transpired to be.
As per estimates from Capology, Gibson earns in excess of £35k per week, making him Stoke’s highest earner; for that, you’d think he’d be an ever-present in the side and one of the club’s best performers on a weekly basis.
Whilst he certainly started as an important player under Schumacher and then under Narcis Pelach, since Robins took the helm, the former Middlesbrough and Burnley defender has seen his game time slashed.
Injury woes this season throughout the squad have seen him appear on the pitch sporadically; he remains an emergency option, and given his lucrative wages, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Potters try and move him on this summer, though his wages will likely prove to be a big stumbling block in any move.
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