Stoke City continues to finalize deals in the remaining weeks of the summer transfer window, with a focus on strengthening their squad to avoid another Championship relegation battle under Steven Schumacher’s guidance.

After welcoming six new first-team players, the departure of Mehdi Leris stands out as a significant loss for the club. Leris, who made a brief impact with 33 appearances and six goal contributions last season, has now returned to Italy to join second-tier side Pisa, despite having two years left on his contract.

Stoke had not planned to let Leris go, making securing their target, Brighton’s Andrew Moran, even more vital. Moran, a 20-year-old attacking midfielder, has drawn interest from multiple clubs, including Bristol City. With experience in the Championship from his loan spell at Blackburn Rovers, Moran could provide much-needed cover on the right wing, a position vacated by Leris.

By winning the race for Moran’s services, Stoke would be filling a crucial gap in their squad and reinforcing their attacking options, especially considering the presence of his former teammates Niall Ennis and Sam Gallagher in the Potters’ ranks.

Knowing each other well and understanding each other’s playing styles, these players are poised to make an instant impact at Stoke, extracting the best from each other. Moran’s adaptability to various attacking midfield positions ensures he can seamlessly replace Leris on the right flank, enhancing the team’s dynamics. This potential transfer holds great value for Stoke, not only in terms of on-field contribution but also in staving off competition from rivals like Bristol City. Securing Moran’s services swiftly could mitigate the disappointment stemming from Leris’ departure and bolster the team’s prospects moving forward for Scumacher’s side.