Thomas in: Realistic last-minute transfers Stoke City should try and secure | OneFootball

FLW have picked out three potential signings that the Potters could look to make before the window slams shut

Stoke City are in a troubling position in the Championship table right now and are in desperate need of some new signings in this window, but are quickly running out of time as they look to improve their squad in the hope of avoiding relegation this season.

The Potters have had a quiet month on the transfer front. Josh Wilson-Esbrand and Ali Al-Hamadi have signed on loan from Manchester City and Ipswich Town respectively, but there's been little else to shout about.

Recently-appointed boss Mark Robins will be working around the clock to add to his squad as the deadline edges ever closer, and reinforcements in numerous positions are clearly needed, given that the Potters are currently in the midst of a battle for survival in 20th place.

Stoke have been linked to numerous players in the last few weeks, yet the bulk of their winter business has been believed to be likely to take place closer to the deadline due to their struggles regarding profit and sustainability (PSR) and financial fair play (FFP) rules, and now with just days of the window to go, their transfer efforts must be ramped up, or they could face a real struggle for the rest of the campaign.

With that in mind, Football League World have picked out three realistic last-minute transfers that Stoke should try and secure before Monday's deadline.

Sorba Thomas

Stoke are in real need of new attacking reinforcements for the second-half of the season, and on-loan Huddersfield Town winger Sorba Thomas would be a shrewd addition to their ranks to help the club stay up.

Wales international Thomas has been one of the Terriers' outstanding players since his arrival in January 2021, and he had the second-most key passes of all Championship players last campaign, with 123 according to FBref.

It was, then, no shock to see him depart the John Smith's Stadium following their relegation last summer, as he joined Ligue 1 outfit Nantes on a season-long loan deal with an option to buy at the end of the campaign, but his time in France has not panned out how he would have wanted it to so far, and he looks set to be available to sign before the winter window slams shut.

The versatile forward has made just nine league starts for Nantes this term, with one goal and two assists to his name, and has recently been linked with a loan move to fellow Championship strugglers Hull City, yet transfer journalist Darren Witcoop has since reported that the Tigers have dropped their interest in his services.

Witcoop, however, has claimed that the 26-year-old is still expected to make a move back to the Championship before the window shuts, and Stoke need to be in the race for his signature given their current attacking predicament, with star winger Million Manhoef out injured and the club currently holding the title for the lowest scorers in the whole of the second-tier this season.

Jeffrey Schlupp

Stoke have recently been linked with a move for Crystal Palace midfielder Jeffrey Schlupp by Football Insider, and he has been playing Premier League football for both the Eagles and Leicester City for the last ten years, so it would be a great signing to make so late on in the window.

Robins has inherited a squad that has one of the youngest average ages in the Championship, and one that is in real need of some older, more experienced players to bolster his ranks, so Schlupp, who has been a top-flight regular since promotion with Leicester back in 2014, and was a key part of the Foxes squad that won a historic Premier League title back in 2015/16, would make a lot of sense to bring in.

The 32-year-old has been a constant over the last few seasons at Selhurst Park, with his 34 Premier League appearances in 2022/23 being his most over a single campaign for the club, but he has seen his game-time limited somewhat since Oliver Glasner took over at Selhurst Park, and he looks to be open to a move away right now.

The main appeal to signing someone like Schlupp is his impressive versatility, as, according to transfermarkt, he has been deployed in 11 different positions throughout his career, and can mainly feature anywhere along the left side, as well as in central midfield, which is ideal for the Potters given current injuries to the likes of Jordan Thompson, Sol Sidibe, Bosun Lawal and Ben Pearson.

If his signing is realistic from a financial point of view, it would make a lot of sense to seal a cut-price deal for him over the next couple of days to add some much-needed experience and flexibility to Robins' ranks.

Krystian Bielik

The Potters' aforementioned midfield troubles need fixing as soon as possible if they are to have the best chance of picking up results over the next few months, and while their defensive stability has improved since Robins' arrival, they could also do with another more reliable centre-back right now.

One player who would provide a solution to both of those issues would be Birmingham City man Krystian Bielik, who has been a Championship regular for years with both Derby County and Blues, amid numerous long-term injury issues, and has surprisingly remained with them in League One this season as they look set to return to the second-tier at the first time of asking.

Bielik joined Blues permanently from Derby back in 2022, and he has been able to avoid major injuries over the past two seasons, then was duly appointed club-captain by new head-coach Chris Davies ahead of this term after his standout performances despite their relegation last season.

He has played a key role in Birmingham's champions-elect campaign so far, with consistent starts at both centre-back and right-back, but he has been forced out of the team after a short-term injury in recent weeks, with numerous recent outings all coming off the bench.

According to TEAMtalk reporter Fraser Fletcher, via X, Bielik is on Stoke's transfer radar ahead of next Monday's deadline, but Blues boss Chris Davies has made it quite clear that he does not plan on losing his services anytime soon.

Regardless, given that his quality, versatility and leadership values make him a standout in the third-tier, the Potters need to try and offer him an immediate route back into the Championship amid potential uncertainty that he may be pushed down the pecking order at St Andrew's in the coming months.

Bielik has nearly 130 appearances at Championship level under his belt, so his potential arrival would make a lot of sense to add to the Potters' largely inexperienced and young team, and he may want a new challenge in a higher league, as well as a better chance of consistent game-time for the years to come, and a likely increase to his weekly wages.