[themaclad]

Stoke City have signed Sampdoria forward Mehdi Leris and Serbian winger Nikola Jojic for undisclosed fees.

Leris, a 25-year-old Algeria international who made his Serie A debut as a teenager six years ago, has agreed a three-year contract.

Meanwhile, Jojic, 19, who moves from Serbian Super League side FK Mladost Lucani, joins on a four-year deal.

"I know as a young player I will have a chance to show my quality here and continue to develop my game," he said.

Jojic won his first cap for Serbia Under-21s in November, and has scored 10 goals, as well as contributing 11 assists, in 45 appearances for his hometown club in the past two years.

Nikola Jojic
Serbia's Nikola Jojic tracks England's Jamie Bynoe-Gittens in the European Under-19 Championships
"When recruiting young players you have to hit the market at the right time and, if we had waited for a further window, I believe that Nikola would have moved to another team in Europe, such was the interest he received this summer," said Stoke technical director Ricky Martin.

Leris, who can also play as a right wing-back, began his career with Chievo and also spent time on loan at Juventus before joining Sampdoria in 2019.

"I wanted to test myself in England because my dream is to play in the Premier League," Leris told the Stoke website.

"It is a new team but to have won three of the first four matches is really encouraging so I am excited to get started."

[themaclad]

Stoke City have made their 14th signing of the summer transfer window by bringing in FC Basel winger Wouter Burger for an undisclosed fee.

After two seasons in Switzerland, the 22-year-old former Netherlands Under-21 international has moved to the Potteries on a four-year contract.

"We see Wouter as a key asset," said Stoke technical director Ricky Martin.

"We believe his acquisition is a great coup. With his age and profile, he is ready to have a positive influence."

Burger follows the arrival of defender Enda Stevens, Bournemouth midfielder Ben Pearson and keeper Mark Travers, Coventry defender Michael Rose, Preston midfielder Daniel Johnson, Portuguese striker Andre Vidigal, Wolves duo Ki-Jana Hoever and Chiquinho, strikers Wesley from Aston Villa and Ryan Mmaee from Ferencvaros - and this week's double signing of Sampdoria forward Mehdi Leris and Serbian winger Nikola Jojic.

Stoke have made a decent start to the new Championship season under Alex Neil, picking up seven points from their first four games, as well as beating West Bromwich Albion to reach the second round of the EFL Cup, in which they host Rotherham United next Tuesday night.

Their next league test is Saturday's date in South London against former Potters boss Gary Rowett's Millwall.

[themaclad]

Stoke City have signed South Korea Under-20 midfielder Bae Junho on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

The 20-year-old joins from K-League side Daejeon Hana Citizen and has made 17 appearances this season after helping the club win promotion to the top flight last term.

Junho said the move to England was "a dream come true".

Once the deal, subject to international clearance, is finalised he will become the Potters' 15th summer signing.

Stoke technical director Ricky Martin said recruiting Junho was an example of the club's desire to "widen the net in terms of tracking players from outside of the UK and Europe".

He added: "Clearly there needs to be an adaptation phase for Junho as he makes the transition to a new environment away from home, but we are excited by his potential and believe he will continue to improve as he becomes accustomed to our club and to the English game."

[themaclad]

Stoke City goalkeeper Jack Bonham has signed a one-year contract extension to keep him with the Potters until the end of the 2024-25 season.

The 30-year-old has played 49 games since arriving in the summer of 2021.

He has kept a clean sheet in Stoke's past three matches since coming into the side after Mark Travers was recalled from his loan spell by parent club Bournemouth.

"I feel settled and consider my game to be in a good place," Bonham said.

"The match against Middlesbrough felt like a big moment for me, given the circumstances of coming into the team at short notice, and I have since taken belief from how I have performed in the past three games."

Bonham is Stoke's third longest-serving player after Tyrese Campbell and Jordan Thompson, having arrived from Gillingham just over two years ago.

Stoke's technical director Ricky Martin said the goalkeeper has "resilient and stoic character" and is "highly respected" by his team-mates.

"Jack has shown both last season and this that he is a reliable and experienced goalkeeper who we can have confidence in to perform when called upon," Martin said.

[themaclad]

Championship side Stoke City have signed Wolves midfielder Luke Cundle on loan for the rest of the season.

The 21-year-old played for Potters boss Steven Schumacher at former club Plymouth earlier this season.

He made 27 appearances on loan at Argyle, and scored five goals - the last in Saturday's 3-1 FA Cup win against Sutton United.

"Stoke City is a massive club, it's a new chapter for me and I'm delighted to be here," Cundle said.

"I know the boss and his staff well having worked with them previously. I really like the ideas he puts across and how he gets his teams to play.

"He plays attacking, high energy football on the front foot, where everybody runs and passes forward, and that suits my game. I'm looking forward to getting going and letting my football do the talking."

Cundle came through the Wolves academy and made his senior debut in a League Cup tie against Reading in September 2019.

He made four Premier League appearances for the Molineux club in 2022, starting matches against Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle, before spending last season on loan at Swansea City.

Stoke technical director Ricky Martin said: "Steven sees Luke as one of the brightest young talents around and as someone whose drive and personality will have a positive impact on our group.

"We have strong connections with Wolverhampton Wanderers, they believe Luke's development will be well served with us, and we are equally excited by what he can bring to our side between now and the end of the season."

[themaclad]

Teenage Stoke City striker Nathan Lowe has signed a new four-and-a-half year contract with the Championship club.

The 18-year-old academy graduate is in his debut season for the first team and has made 11 appearances so far.

He scored his first goal - a last-minute winner - on his league debut in the Potters' 3-2 victory at Bristol City at the end of September.

"I am so hungry for more opportunities and to impress every time I get onto the pitch," Lowe said.

"It has been a great year but I am solely focused on writing the next chapter.

"It is nice to reflect, and the feeling of scoring the winner at Bristol City was indescribable. It is an emotion I am determined to experience again and again."

Stoke technical director Ricky Martin said Lowe was "a role model and inspiration" to others in the club's academy system and said the length of Lowe's contract showed "the confidence we have in Nathan to continue his development and enjoy sustained success".

[themaclad]

Stoke City have signed Dutch midfielder Million Manhoef from Vitesse Arnhem and Blackburn Rovers striker Niall Ennis to take their signings in the January transfer window to five.

Manhoef, 22, joined for an undisclosed fee on a three-and-a-half-year deal.

He has scored 14 goals in the Eredivisie over the last four seasons.

Ennis, 24, who played for Stoke boss Steven Schumacher at Plymouth last season, has signed a two-and-a-half year deal, also for an undisclosed fee.

As well as their two deadline day deals, Stoke also allowed teenage striker Emre Tezgel to join MK Dons on loan and released 34-year-old former Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion striker Dwight Gayle.

Gayle scored just three goals in 50 appearances following his move from Newcastle back in July 2022, when Michael O'Neill was still in charge.

Potters busy in the marketplace
Stoke have now made 25 signings since the end of last season.

They were the EFL's busiest club during the summer window, under Alex Neil, making 19 signings, before adding defender Ciaran Clark in early October as a free agent.

But in this window they have as expected made only minor 'tweaks', limiting it to five.

They have signed two goalkeepers, Leicester City's Daniel Iversen and New Zealander Scott Morris, as well as Wolves midfielder Luke Cundle, who, like Ennis, had also previously played for new boss Schumacher on loan at Plymouth this season.

Ennis was a key part of Plymouth's promotion to the Championship last season, scoring 14 goals and adding seven assists, before moving to Lancashire in the summer.

"It's a huge privilege getting the opportunity to represent Stoke City," he said. "I know the fans want to see exciting, front-foot football and that is exactly the type of team I want to play in too."

Manhoef said he was "very excited" to join the Potters and wants "to show people what I can do here."

Potters' technical director Ricky Martin said the left winger will provide a "fresh and dangerous dimension" to the club's attack.

[themaclad]

Forwards Wesley and Tyrese Campbell are to leave Stoke City following the expiry of their contracts this summer.

Brazilian Wesley joined the Potters last summer, having previously been Aston Villa's then record £22m signing when he signed for them in 2019.

Campbell scored 36 goals in 164 appearances for Stoke and was on target in their final two games of the 2023-24 season.

Defender Ciaran Clark will also leave the Potters, but they have taken up the option to extend midfielder Jordan Thompson's contract for a further 12 months.

Talks are ongoing with full-back Enda Stevens about a new deal, and goalkeeper Frank Fielding has signed a new one-year contract.

"Those departing do so knowing we are hugely grateful for their efforts during their time with the club," said sporting director Jonathan Walters.

"In Tyrese’s case, to have played over 150 matches for one team is a rare feat in the modern era, it represents a significant contribution to the history of our club."

The club say a full retained list will be released in due course.

Stoke’s three straight wins to end the season saved them from the drop and lifted them to 17th in the final Championship table.

But it was still the club’s lowest finish in 21 years - since finishing 21st in the second tier in their first season following promotion in 2003.

Since coming down from the Premier League in 2018, Stoke’s final placings in the Championship have been an almost symmetrically-perfect disappointment - 16th, 15th, 14th, 14th, 16th, 17th.

[themaclad]

Republic of Ireland defender Enda Stevens will stay with Stoke City for another year after signing a new contract with the Championship club.

The 33-year-old left-back was one of several out-of-contract players who have been discussing their futures with Potters boss Steven Schumacher over the last few days and joins midfielder Jordan Thompson in agreeing new terms.

Stevens moved to Stoke from Sheffield United last summer, having spent six years at Bramall Lane.

"I really want to be part of driving Stoke City forward," Stevens told the club website., external

“I look at the squad here and see a lot of talented footballers. With the experience the lads gained last season, we are capable of achieving success.”

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Stevens was out for more than three months at the turn of the year because of calf and hamstring injuries but returned to the side at the end of March to help steer the Potters to safety as they finished 17th, six points clear of the relegation zone.

"We finished last season strongly and Enda played his part in that," said Stoke sporting director Jonathan Walters.

“He brought quality to our side with and without the ball, as well as the wisdom of having seen everything there is to see at this level, and that helped us immensely in those high-pressure games."

[themaclad]

Stoke City have brought in goalkeeper Viktor Johansson from Rotherham United as their first signing ahead of next season.

The Sweden international moves to the bet365 Stadium on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

Johansson, 25, played 135 times for the Millers across four seasons and was twice the club's player of the year.

"I share the ambitions of the club and it’s a journey I really want to be part of, so I’m looking forward to getting started," he said.

Johansson made his debut for Sweden last October and put in a string of excellent performances for Rotherham despite them finishing bottom of the Championship.

But Stoke have acted quickly to sign him as they look to improve upon their 17th place finish this season.

“As one of the standout performers in the league last year, Viktor adds quality, but just as important as the talent is the character we are introducing to the dressing room," Stoke's sporting director Jonathan Walters told the club website.

“There is a lot of work to be done between now and the start of the season, but doing this business so early sets the tone for the club and our intentions for the 2024-25 campaign.”