Stoke City has three new signings in tow going into their second preseason friendly this evening, and they are still waiting on more.
Midway through a week-long training camp in the Republic of Ireland, where Steven Schumacher has been putting his team through its paces, Stoke takes on Cork City. He has plenty of players—the senior team appears to be about the right size—but it’s no secret that he wants to strengthen a few positions.
The key position is center forward, and Stoke cleared space by letting go of Tyrese Campbell and Wesley at the end of the season. Ryan Mmaee, who is presently recovering from an injury, is most likely regarded as a number 10 or second striker.
The current contenders are Emre Tezgel, Niall Ennis, and Nathan Lowe. Tezgel, who is eighteen, did not hurt his chances by scoring twice in last week’s 3-0 victory at Chester. Ennis secured the other.
But the connections are happening more often now, and this week Stoke were linked to QPR forward Sinclair Armstrong and Troyes’ 25-year-old Ike Ugbo, who proved he could win games at this level during his loan at Sheffield Wednesday in the second half of the previous campaign.