Mark Robins spells out clear transfer stance after Stoke City stayed out of deadline scramble
Stoke City were ready to walk away from potential deals at the end of the transfer window if not everything was right, admits Mark Robins.
Stoke were working up to the deadline at 11pm on Monday looking for ways they could bolster Robins' squad amid constraints due to financial rules while also taking into account the fact that there are senior players on their way back from injury.
They pulled out of a chase for Hibs winger Elie Youan and didn't sign anyone extra for the senior team, although Ryan Mmaee returned from a loan spell at Rapid Vienna while he recovers from a hamstring injury. Stoke had already brought in Josh Wilson-Esbrand and Ali Al-Hamadi on loan.
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Robins said: “It is what it is. We tried but sometimes it just isn’t right and then people try to force a situation where I’m not comfortable and certainly the club won’t be comfortable and it has to be right for everybody. Nothing was right that was worth pursuing and damaging things that are either already here or might be in the pipeline for the future. You have to weigh things up and we did that and found it wasn’t worth pursuing at that particular time.”
Stoke have since confirmed the signing of 19-year-olds Ruben Curley, a midfielder from Manchester United, and Adriel Walker, a forward who has joined from West Bromwich Albion, while an 18-year-old trialist winger made a big impression in a 4-2 win for the under-21s on Tuesday.
Robins, who was watching that 21s game at Clayton Wood, is keeping a close eye on the club's prospects.
He said: “We’ve got an academy here and they all should be on the radar and they should all feel they can get on the radar if they’re not on it.
“The academy is important. It’s the lifeblood of any football club. You’re hoping and willing people to come through and I’m more than willing to give people opportunities. I think that’s on my CV. Certainly you can look at every club I’ve been at and I’ve given people opportunities, sometimes even developed them and had to sell them on and that either enhances their career or it doesn’t and hopefully they go on to bigger and better things wherever they go but you want them to help you get to where you want to get to as well.
“I think for us it’s a great opportunity to have a look at people and also bringing people in gives you a little bit more oxygen into the system as well so let’s see.”
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