Million Manhoef opens the door for Stoke City exit this summer, but makes comment fans will love

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Stoke City ace Million Manhoef has made a telling admission over his future after the Potters flirted with relegation in 2024/25.

Stoke City spent the finishing stages of the Championship season staring nervously over their shoulders at the relegation zone.

On the final day, Stoke drew 0-0 against Derby County, which ensured both sides were safe from the dreaded drop to League One.

Sky Sports pundit David Prutton predicted Stoke to get relegated last term, and the Potters hierarchy must utilise the summer transfer window effectively to equip head coach Mark Robins with reinforcements to better last season’s 18th finish.

Unfortunately for the Potters faithful, one high-profile star, Million Manhoef, has revealed his intentions for his footballing future.

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Million Manhoef makes telling admission over his Stoke City future

With Stoke’s incomings and outgoings so far this summer, Lynden Gooch, Enda Stevens and Michael Rose have all left upon the expiry of their contracts alongside Jordan Thomas.

Now, Dutchman Manhoef has made a telling admission over his Stoke future, after the 23-year-old left the door open for an exit from the Bet365 Stadium this summer.

Via Voetbal International, Manhoef said: “I just hope to have a good European Championship now, and then we’ll see what happens.

“Another year at Stoke is certainly not bad either. I just want to help the club get back to a higher level.

“But of course, I also have my ambitions to get as high as possible. I’m 23 now, so if a nice step comes along, I certainly won’t say no.”

“I went to England to make a step, to then make another step to the highest level, the Premier League.

“But we will see what will happen, other countries are also nice. I do not rule anything out. First, all focus is on the European Championship.”

Manhoef’s metrics from the 2024/25 season highlight why Robins will be reluctant to see the creative spark depart Stoke this summer.

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Million Manhoef statistics for Stoke City in 24/25 Championship

Manhoef arrived at Stoke from the Eredivisie in 2023, making a £4 million move from Vitesse, where he’d spent his first four senior seasons in football, scoring 16 goals and registering 14 assists in just 88 games for the Dutch outfit.

After his mid-season arrival last term, Manhoef managed only five goal contributions, but enjoyed a far more productive campaign in attack this season.

In 24/25, the inventive midfielder scored five goals and notched five assists in the league for the Potters, with his spark in the final third playing a pivotal role in helping Stoke stave off relegation.

Finishing the campaign as the club’s top combined goal contributor (10) highlights how key the Dutchman was to Stoke’s survival battle.

Although his form depreciated after Robins’ arrival, the club can ill-afford to let such a creative spark, with potential to develop even further, depart before next season’s attempt to better their recent relegation-threatened campaign.