Stoke City January transfer window ins and outs as deadline day looms
Mark Robins will have known it was going to be busy when he signed up to become Stoke City manager on New Year's Day.
There were seven games in league and cup to fit in before the winter transfer deadline, the squad needed a quick assessment to decide who was available and who should be available in the here and now, working out who was going to leave and who needed to leave. The injury list needed to be studied to figure out when key players would be back and the market explored for players who could drag the team away from the Championship danger zone - albeit with a constrained budget due to Financial Fair Play rules.
Plenty of hurdles then for Robins and sporting director Jon Walters to navigate as they head towards February 3. Here is a recap of all the business done so far.
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In
Josh Wilson-Esbrand (loan, Manchester City)
Left-back Josh Wilson-Esbrand joined on loan from Manchester City on January 22.
The 22-year-old comes in to challenge Eric Bocat, Lynden Gooch and Enda Stevens for game-time – and also addresses a position of need with Bocat out until the end of February, Gooch having been in the treatment room and Stevens’ struggles to be available for every game..
It reunites the former England youth international with Robins, after a 14-game loan spell at Coventry City as the Sky Blues reached the 2022/23 Championship play-off final.
“Josh brings all the physical attributes needed to be a real asset at both ends of the pitch,” said Walters. “As a left-footed player who can cover multiple roles, he adds balance, versatility and quality to our squad. With Championship experience and having previously been part of a successful team under Mark, Josh is well-prepared to make a significant impact in a Stoke City shirt.
“When it comes to loan players, you want individuals who fully commit to the club, and that’s been the case with everyone we’ve brought in this season. I’m confident Josh will be no different. I look forward to seeing him receive the warmest of Stoke City welcomes from our fans.”
Ali Al-Hamadi (loan, Ipswich Town)
Stoke fought off competition from across the Championship to sign striker Ali Al-Hamadi on loan on January 24.
He has spent the last 12 months at Portman Road following a prolific breakthrough spell at AFC Wimbledon. The Iraq international helped win promotion to the Premier League with some key goals and has been used from the bench in the top flight.
Walters said: “Strikers of real pedigree are one of the hardest commodities to secure in any transfer window, so to get Ali over the line is a significant boost for us all. We know there has been significant interest from other clubs and are delighted he has opted to join Stoke City.
“Ali’s goalscoring record speaks for itself, but it’s his relentless hard-working approach that truly epitomises what we stand for as a club. We have no doubt that our fans will take to Ali, and we wish him every success in a Stoke City shirt.”
Recalled
Lewis Baker (Blackburn Rovers)
Midfielder Baker was called back from Blackburn on January 8.
He had scored against Robins' then-Coventry side in an opening day win for Stoke and was actually namechecked by Robins in February last season after Coventry had won 1-0 at the bet365 Stadium.
Walters said: “As we look to enhance our squad for the second half of the campaign, it was clear in discussions with Mark that he believes Lewis can play an important role in our squad.
“With the best part of 300 career appearances to his name, Lewis will add invaluable experience to the group, while his technical ability is something our supporters will be well aware of. Having started each of Blackburn’s four fixtures over the festive period, he returns ready to make an immediate impact.”
Nathan Lowe (Walsall)
Striker Lowe was summoned back from Walsall on January 12.
The 19-year-old striker had scored 18 in 30 appearances for the League Two table toppers and had been back the previous week to train for a day with Robins. He was named EFL young player of the month in October and League Two player of the month in December.
Robins had said before making the call: “He is certainly scoring goals at League Two level and when we spoke the other day I said the goals don’t move. If you’re hungry and you can get into good positions where the ball is going to find you… and we have to make sure we can do that and our team moves and evolves into a state when we can start to create chances on a regular basis that gives forwards the opportunities to stick the ball in the back of the net. In which case, we’ve got good players and players who can score.”
Out
Tom Cannon (recalled by Leicester City)
Leicester pulled the trigger to take back Tom Cannon in the final hour before a deadline to do so on January 14.
The 22-year-old striker had scored 11 times for Stoke so far this season but that kind of form has alerted potential suitors in the Championship, including promotion-chasing Sheffield United and Sunderland. Sheff Utd ended up signing him for £10m.
Stoke released a statement saying: "Tom has our thanks for his commitment to the Stoke City cause during his loan spell with the club. We wish him well for the future."
Freddie Anderson (loan, Cork City)
Freddie Anderson moved to Cork City on loan for the whole of the League of Ireland Premier Division season on January 23.
The 18-year-old centre-back has just returned from a training camp with United States under-20s, for whom he qualifies through his mum. He had been on standby for England under-19s earlier this season - and his dad Viv Anderson is a former England international, as well as teammate of Robins at Manchester United.
It continues a big few months for the big defender, who scored when he made his Stoke first team debut in a Carabao Cup win at Carlisle in August. He has captained the under-21s too.
Cork start their season on February 14 at home against Galway United, having won promotion from the First Division as champions last year. The season runs until November.
Dara McGuiness (Finn Harps)
Youth striker Dara McGuinness joined Finn Harps in the League of Ireland Division One on January 27.
The 20-year-old forward joined Stoke in the summer of 2022 and has been a regular for the under-21s as well as spending time on loan at Leek Town earlier this season.
Now he has returned to Ireland to join Finn Harps at the start of a new season, which starts on February 14 with an away trip to Kerry.
Niall Ennis (loan to Blackpool)
Niall Ennis made the switch to League One Blackpool on loan until the end of the season on January 30, two days short of his first anniversary as a Stoke player.
Walters said: "With limited opportunities in our squad and interest from several clubs, we felt this was the right move for Niall at this stage. He has previously enjoyed success in the league, and we believe this loan will provide him with the valuable playing time he needs. We wish Niall the best of luck during his time at Bloomfield Road."
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