One week to go for Stoke signings

There is just a week to go as the Potters step up the hunt for more new players.

From the stories circulating it does seem that Tony Pulis is keen on getting a quality striker in on loan to work alongside Ric Fuller. The sort of players that the Potters would hope to entice to the Brit are unlikely to make any move until the transfer window is just about to slam shut next Thursday, after they have exhausted any Premier League options.

So who could be on the shopping list. We already know that Marlon Harewood (Aston Villa) and Robert Earnshaw (Derby) are both possible candidates. Any chance of Harewood seems to depend on who Martin O’Neil can entice to Villa Park, before he can afford to let him go. Earnshaw seems out of favour and Cardiff seem keen for him to return, but it depends if he sees that as an admission of failure and decides to chance his arm and move to his fifth club in four years.

Another name thrown into the ring today as a potential loan signing was Arsenal starlet, Theo Walcott. This came from none other than the Stoke chairman himself when he was interviewed by the BBC. It’s very surprising that Coates would throw his name around publicly if this was under serious consideration, as it just alerts other clubs to the possibility of a deal, unless Stoke were further down the negotiations road than he let on. But he did just that a few weeks ago when he announced that Ryan Shawcross’s move could be made permanent. In that case, the deal seems to have been nearly done by the time he announced that it was a possibility. This time he appears to have dismissed the likelihood of Walcott joining with ‘We will enquire but I guess he’ll want to stay in the Premier League.’
If that is the case, why did he mention it in the first place?

IN
Already in the can:
Salif Diao (free agent)
Danny Pugh – Preston North End (£500k)
Andy Griffin – Derby (£300k)
Leon Cort – Crystal Palace (£1.2m)
Ryan Shawcross – Manchester United (£1m rising to £2m)

Just the rumour mill for now:
Glenn Whelan – Sheffield Wed. He has been talked about since the summer and the Owls have just turned down a ‘derisory’ offer of £250k from Plymouth
Stelios Giannakopoulos – Bolton (£750k?) Megson is a big mate of TP, so who knows..
Marlon Harewood – Aston Villa. Rumours link the Potters to a loan deal for the former Hammers’ striker until the end of the season
Neil Lennon – Notts Forest. The former Celtic midfielder is said to have Ipswich after him as well.
Robert Earnshaw – Derby. Stories continue to circulate that he could join us on loan, but a return to Cardiff might be more likely.
Junior Agogo – Nottingham Forest. Currently away playing in the African Cup of Nations
Joel Lindpere – Tromso. The Norwegian press are linking us with this Estonian international midfielder
Theo Walcott – Arsenal. Peter Coates has thrown his name into the pot as someone the Potters would enquire about.

OUT
and already gone
Peter Sweeney – Leeds United (‘nominal fee’)
Clint Hill – Crystal Palace. (undisclosed fee)

I’ll keep this updated as the month progresses. If you’ve got any other rumours why not add them below.