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Stoke City have plenty of work to do this summer if they are to avoid a battle at the bottom of the Championship once again in 2025/26.
The Potters avoided relegation on the final day alongside Derby County after a 0-0 draw at Pride Park, but their ambitions must be greater in the new season as Mark Robins gets ready for his first full campaign in charge of the club.
Stoke have had talks with John Swift following his departure from West Bromwich Albion, but there is competition from three other clubs for his signature – including the Rams.
Nevertheless, the Staffordshire outfit are now closing in on the signing of a defender who made quite the impact in the Championship last season.
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Stoke City look to sign Maksym Talovierov
Maksym Talovierov has looked likely to leave Plymouth Argyle all summer, and now it has been reported by Pete O’Rourke that he is set to join Stoke.
The 25-year-old joined the Greens as their record signing in the January transfer window and he was an excellent addition, although his team were unable to avoid relegation to League One with the Ukrainian defender struggling with injury at the end of the campaign.
Chief Football Correspondent, Graeme Bailey, has told EFL Analysis that Stoke are ‘trying’ to get the deal done and they are in talks with Plymouth. Miron Muslic has also shown interest with Schalke, but this was not overly advanced.
Mark Robins is getting a superb centre-back in Maksym Talovierov
When Talovierov suffered his injury, Muslic was quick to explain how much he was going to be missed. He said (via: Plymouth Live): “He’s very disappointed because the season is over and he can’t support us any more. We all know Maksym now in the last two months, he’s a fighter, good spirit, top lad, good character.”
The Ukrainian centre-back’s physical presence and leadership in the defensive third make him a huge coup for Stoke and Argyle will be extremely disappointed to lose him.
Robins needs a replacement for Ashley Phillips and ‘Maxi’ can be exactly that as the Potters look to push up the table with the dream of ending their seven year wait for Premier League football at the forefront of the minds of those at the bet365 Stadium.