Stoke City hopes shot down as £13m Tom Cannon decision made
Stoke City’s slim hopes of seeing Tom Cannon return to the club for the second half of the season have been sunk by the news that a bid has been submitted - and reportedly accepted - for the Leicester City player.
Cannon has scored 11 goals for Stoke this season, but was recalled by his parent club this week amid transfer interest from up to three of the Potters’ Championship rivals. Now one of them, promotion hopefuls Sheffield United, have confirmed they have submitted a bid.
And transfer expert Alan Nixon claims the Foxes have accepted the offer and given permission for club and player to speak.
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Reports claim the Blades are ready to spend up to £13m on the 22-year-old, and while no fee has been mentioned officially, United boss Chris Wilder said today: “There's a bid gone in. Other clubs want the player. I'm not going to hide behind anything or mug anyone off; we're in the race for Tom and there's a lot of other things that have got to happen as well.”
Speaking ahead of United’s home Championship clash with Norwich City on Saturday, Wilder added: “We're in the race for a couple of others as well and we have to have those contingency plans.
“The owners want to back the recruitment team in association with the new data route we're going down and everything adds up. We're in discussions about a player, there's no point trying to disguise that.”
Nixon has been on top of developments around Cannon since the January transfer window opened, and in his latest Patreon post claims: “Sheffield United’s bid for striker Tom Cannon has been accepted by Leicester City. The Blades have gone to £13 million including bonuses and are expected to speak to the forward immediately."
Sunderland and Burnley have also been linked with the player, and are said to have tabled similar bids to the Blades, but Nixon adds: “United’s offer is preferred to Sunderland’s who wanted a loan now with a buy on promotion. They may come back with an instant deal but that is considered unlikely."
Stoke boss Mark Robins mentioned Cannon in his pre-match press conference today, but played down hopes of a return.
He said: “Well, you always run the risk when you’ve got players on loan that when they do well it will ignite interest in them from elsewhere and Leicester are well within their rights – as we were to recall Nathan Lowe, and this was part of the reason as well because it looked to all intents and purposes like it might happen and it has.
“Tom has been brilliant in the short time I’ve known him. He’s a top, top young man and he’s done great for this football club. I wish him all the best and hopefully will see him in the not too distant future again.”
Robins wouldn’t be pushed on the possibility of Cannon returning to Stoke. “Who knows,” he said. “He’s not our player. I don’t want to comment any further on that but let’s see how things develop.”
