Stoke in loan striker hunt

Stoke are hoping to unveil a ‘big name’ striker on Friday so that he will be eligible for their next home game against Ipswich on Saturday.

The emergency loan deal rule that forbids loans over 93 days has kept the Potters hanging on until they could be sure that any loan player would be able to play in all the Potters’ final matches, including any potential play-off matches.

No one name seems to have yet come to the surface, except for the belief that it is a striker who is currently playing for a Premier League club. Scott Sinclair (pictured above), David Nugent, Rob Earnshaw and Bobby Zamora have all been linked with a move to the Potteries for the final, critical run-in.

Sinclair seems ready to go out on loan from Chelsea and Leicester had been in the frame, but were told that Chelsea wanted the 18 year old to go a Championship club that was better placed. Leicester manager, Ian Holloway told the BBC: ‘If they do loan him out they want to loan him to a club with a chance of getting in the play-offs because they want him to experience that.’

Nugent is out of favour at Portsmouth but may be ready to move to Saturday’s visitors, Ipswich, instead.

Earnshaw has long been touted around as a possible loanee at Stoke after failing to impress new manager, Paul Jewell at Derby.

Zamora has missed most of the season at West Ham after succumbing to a knee injury, but managed 90 minutes for the reserves on Wednesday. But with Zamora not yet match fit, he would seem to be a risky strike partner alongside Fuller for the next three months, but one that would excite fans at the Brit.