Two Players Who Should Leave Stoke City In January
Stoke City are not in the best shape right now. They are in the 14th spot in the Premier League and will have a lot of work to do once the international break gets over. It has been a while since the club did anything truly impactful. Their competitors like Burnley, Watford and Newcastle United are all doing extremely well and Stoke could be left behind by the time the new year rolls up.
However, they can hope to change things and make it better by re-assessing their team. They can offload some players to free up wage bills while also bringing in some extra cash to invest in strengthening other areas. With that said, let’s take a look at two players who could look to leave Mark Hughes’ side in January.
Peter Crouch
At 37, Crouch still has a splendid goal-scoring touch but it could be time for him to seek pastures anew. Regular game time continues to be lacking for him and considering his age, he needs to clock as many minutes as he can before he decides to call it a day. Instead of struggling for game time at Stoke, Crouch could consider joining a different club as a short-term option since his experience will prove to be invaluable for a lot of other clubs.
The 42-times capped England international remains a respected figure at Stoke City but with time running out, Stoke could look for a younger and faster player to replace him while the veteran seeks a different club to play out the rest of his career. This will be beneficial for both parties involved. Aston Villa were understood to be keen on signing Crouch and he can certainly make a bigger impact there while allowing Stoke to get a younger player who can truly improve their attack.
Glen Johnson
The defender may have signed a one-year contract extension earlier this year but it might be time for him to exit the club in January. The player is becoming slower and seemingly ineffective when it comes to providing cover at the back. In fact, his glaring mistakes against Chelsea in September were shocking even for neutrals to watch.
Of course, it infuriated the fans and perhaps the club will be better off if Johnson leaves in January. They need better quality players in that area if they are to salvage the rest of the Premier League season. It won’t be easy to improve if they continue to falter at the back, and hence, Johnson may have to consider an exit.