Has Mehdi Leris' move from Stoke City to Pisa gone to plan so far? | OneFootball

FLW looks at how the Algerian has adjusted to life in Italy

Mehdi Leris was one of several new additions to Stoke City's squad under Alex Neil in the summer of 2023.

Stoke have gained a reputation as a perennial mid-table side ever since the club's fallout from the Premier League into the Championship back in 2018, with several cases of high squad and managerial turnover hardly allowing for a sustainable environment which the club can flourish in.

Of course, since the transfer window of last summer, City have changed manager twice, with current boss Narcis Pelach now at the helm after replacing Steven Schumacher in controversial circumstances, as the former Plymouth Argyle boss looked to finally be progressing the club forward after replacing Neil last December.

A number of players from the Scot's final window in charge have continued to impress amid those managerial changes, such as Million Manhoef, Wouter Burger, and Bae Jun-Ho.

However, after joining Stoke from Fiorentina last August, Leris lasted just short of a year in Staffordshire and opted for a return to Italy, joining Serie B outfit Pisa FC.

So, with that in mind, Football League World looks at how Leris' move to Tuscany has panned out so far.

Mehdi Leris' solitary season at Stoke City

The four-time Algerian international was one of 18 new additions in the aforementioned Neil's final transfer window in charge, signing for an undisclosed fee and a three-year contract in the process.

Leris' versatility was an asset for Stoke across the season, making appearances at right-back, on the right wing, and a solitary Championship appearance as a centre-forward in a 1-0 home defeat to Southampton last October.

However, the fact that only 18 of his 30 league appearances were starts meant that the 26-year-old was unable to aid the club's continued inconsistent form for lengthy periods, but his record in terms of goal contributions showcased that he definitely had the quality to step up when required.

All of his goal contributions in the league and EFL Cup came in wins for the Potters, which included victories over Bristol City, Middlesbrough, Sunderland, and Plymouth Argyle.

After a changing of the guard in mid-season, it was an intriguing summer of developments as far as Leris was concerned, with Schumacher opting to experiment with utilising his services at right-back on a more regular basis, as well as knocking back initial bids from Pisa.

However, the Italian side would eventually become successful in their pursuit, as the player's desire to seek a new challenge after just one year in English football was granted.

“While we tried to convince him to stay, Mehdi ultimately decided that he wanted to pursue a new opportunity and we have now reached an agreement with Pisa for his return to Italy," sporting director, Jonathan Walters stated.

Mehdi Leris suffers unfortunate start to Pisa FC career

After being given the chance to return to Italy after previous spells with Chievo Verona, Fiorentina and Brescia, the start of Leris' spell at the Stadio Romeo Anconetani has got off to an extremely unfortunate start.

The French-born Algerian was handed his debut with an 11-minute cameo in a 2-2 draw with Spezia on August 17th, before going on to record his first goal contribution for the Nerazzurri in a 2-0 victory over Palermo the following week, in what was his first start for the club.

However, in a friendly against Primavera Nerazzurra during the September international break, Leris was forced off with a leg injury whilst closing down an opponent.

Things would go from bad to worse for the wide player, as it was revealed that an Anterior Cruciate Ligament problem had been sustained, with reports in Italy stating that Leris would be sidelined for at least six months.

It is an extremely unfortunate blow for the new signing, with his side currently sitting top of Serie B after taking 19 points from the first eight games of the season.

The road back to full fitness is going to be a long one for Leris but the prospect of potentially playing in the Italian top flight next term will work as extra motivation.