Why Stoke City have bagged a bargain by signing Danny Batth for £3m
According to a report in Stoke Sentinel, Championship side Stoke City have completed the signing of Wolves defender Danny Batth. The 28-year-old arrives at the Bet365 stadium for an initial fee of around £3m and has signed a three-and-half-year contract with the club.
Batth is the first new arrival at the club since the hiring of Nathan Jones as the new manager. The defender was on loan at Middlesbrough for the first part of this season, however, Wolves were able to cut short that arrangement and sell the player. (Stoke Sentinel)
Here’s why the Potters have done the right thing by signing the former Wolves captain on a long-term basis:
Batth’s defensive and leadership qualities could come in handy
Having already conceded 37 goals in 29 league games thus far, Stoke City haven’t helped themselves in the Championship this season. They are currently lying 15th in the table with 38 points, eight away from the playoff spots.
While goal-scoring has been a problem that needs to be solved, the defence needs to be sorted out as well. Since picking up the baton, Nathan Jones has deployed a back-three of Bruno Martins Indi, Ashley Williams and Ryan Shawcross.
However, the problem is that they don’t have a quality fourth centre-back to call upon or to replace one of the three mentioned above. This is where the addition of Batth would be of great significance. Not only will the ex-Wolves skipper put pressure on the first-choice defenders, but he also has the quality to cement his spot in the team when given an opportunity.
In terms of the propensities, Batth is a solid defender who possesses the physicality to win battles against the opposition centre-forwards. His height (6ft 3in) allows him to win aerial duels and be a genuine threat in both boxes from set-pieces.
Furthermore, the former Wolves man is capable of reading the game, make tackles and interceptions at the right time to clear out dangers. All in all, he is a quality centre-back, who can play in a back-four and also a back-three formation.
Hence, Stoke City have got a very good player for such a cheap price. They are certain to get better defensively with Danny Batth in the team.