Stoke letting go of £60,000-a-week star is a bad move but understandable – opinion

Stoke letting Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting go is a bad move but understandable

According to reports in Sky Sports, French champions Paris Saint-Germain have signed Stoke City striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting after his £60,000-a-week deal at the club was cancelled by mutual consent. The 29-year-old joined Stoke City in the summer of 2017 and made 32 appearances for the club.

It is a good move for the Paris club as they have got a striker who is physically strong, and is capable of scoring vital goals when required. The Cameroon ace could just be the bench strength that manager Thomas Tuchel needs at the club.

For Stoke City though, they had to get him out of their books due to the high wage bracket that he was in. But at the same time, they have lost a very good player who was one of their stars in the Premier League last season.

Here’s why the Potters would miss the 29-year-old this season:

Player analysis – Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting

The Cameroon striker scored and assisted five times for Stoke in 30 appearances last season. He was one of the consistent performers at the club, especially in the first half of the campaign. The 29-year-old is physically well-built to shrug off centre-backs with ease and can act as a target man.

His versatility is a key feature as well, providing a chance for the coaches to slot him on either wing. The Cameroon striker had an aerial duel win rate of 2 per game last season, which shows that he is a dangerous customer from crosses and set-pieces.

Choupo-Moting can dribble past defenders at an average of 2 per game and it indicates his propensity of going past people in tight situations. This enhances his overall game because he can impose himself physically and also work with the ball at his feet.

Read More: Enough is enough: Stoke City must offload this out-of-favour £18.3m signing before the European window shuts

Verdict

In short, Stoke City and Gary Rowett have lost a very good player who has abundant talent at his disposal. However, from a financial perspective, it is a sensible decision because of the wages.