Stoke City continue to look for ways to strengthen Steven Schumacher’s squad, and they are interested in bringing Wolves duo Ki-Jana Hoever and Luke Cundle back to the Bet365 Stadium.
Hoever, a right-sided defender, has spent the past 18 months with the Potters, whilst Cundle joined in January to reunite with Schumacher, having spent the first part of the season with Plymouth.
Even though it was a disappointing time for the club, as they needed some important late wins to steer clear of the relegation battle, both players impressed.
| Championship standings 2023/24 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 17 | Stoke City | 46 | -11 | 56 |
| 18 | QPR | 46 | -11 | 56 |
| 19 | Blackburn Rovers | 46 | -14 | 53 |
| 20 | Sheffield Wednesday | 46 | -24 | 53 |
| 21 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | -11 | 51 |
| 22 | Birmingham City (R) | 46 | -15 | 50 |
| 23 | Huddersfield Town (R) | 46 | -29 | 45 |
| 24 | Rotherham United (R) | 46 | -52 | 27 |
And, it has been claimed by Stoke-On-Trent Live that they could yet be back in red-and-white this season.
Ki-Jana Hoever and Luke Cundle need regular football
It had been said that Hoever was in talks to join Sheffield United, and with Wolves having three right-backs ahead of him in the pecking order, it’s fair to say he doesn’t have a future at Molineux.
Therefore, a deal should be straightforward to agree, and with the Dutchman having spent the past year-and-a-half with the Potters, it’s a club he knows all about, so returning would appear to make sense.
Unlike Hoever, Cundle has featured prominently under Gary O’Neil in pre-season, but that is down to Joao Gomes and Boubacar Traore having spent time away with their international sides.
So, when they return to full fitness, the reality is that Cundle will struggle to get near the XI, and, at 22-years-old, he needs to be playing regular football to help his development.
That means another loan looks highly likely, and a permanent switch wouldn’t be off the table if Stoke wanted to pursue that.
Ki-Jana Hoever and Luke Cundle would improve Stoke City
It’s been a busy summer for Stoke already, but they need to improve if they are to push for the play-offs next season, which has to be the aim.
Hoever and Cundle are both proven performers at this level in the past, and, crucially, you get the feeling there is more improvement in them, so they could take their game up another level or two in the next 12 months.
Again, there’s an added bonus of knowing the club, the manager and their teammates, so it seems like a good fit for all parties.
Stoke City’s summer transfer plans
The new season may be days away, but Stoke are still planning to do a lot of business ahead of the deadline, which is on August 31.
The update reveals that Leicester City’s Tom Cannon remains on Stoke’s radar, and they are lining up moves for two young midfielders, and ‘two further players from top Premier League clubs who could join on loan’.
That indicates that Schumacher still feels there are plenty of gaps to fill in his squad, and they are actively looking to strengthen, which is no doubt news that will please the supporters following years of underachievement by the club since their relegation from the Premier League in 2018.
Stoke start their Championship campaign at home to Coventry City on Saturday.
