Stoke City to Snap Up Highly Rated Midfielder With More Transfers Expected

Stoke City is poised to secure the loan signing of Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Luke Cundle until the end of the season. The Telegraph’s John Percy reports that Cundle is set to undergo a medical to reunite with new Stoke City manager Steven Schumacher. Schumacher had initially signed the midfielder on loan for Plymouth Argyle at the start of the current season.

This move comes shortly after Plymouth announced that the 21-year-old had terminated his loan spell and returned to his parent club, Wolves. Cundle brings ample Championship experience to Stoke, having made 32 second-tier appearances for Swansea last season and an additional 24 matches during his loan stint with Plymouth in the 2023/24 campaign.

Stoke City has been proactive in the January transfer window, with Cundle marking the second signing following Daniel Iversen’s arrival from Leicester City. According to reports from the Stoke Sentinel, this is just the beginning of Stoke’s activity in the transfer market, with more incoming players expected over the next three weeks.

However, Cundle’s arrival means that Stoke has now reached its loan quota of five players for the season. This may necessitate the club to explore lower fee or free transfer options in subsequent moves.

Currently, Stoke City sits in 19th place in the Championship and was eliminated from the FA Cup after a 4-2 home defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion. Since Schumacher took over from Alex Neil on December 19, the team has won just one of its first five matches under his management.

The signing of Cundle is seen as a significant move for Stoke, as the promising midfielder has demonstrated his abilities in the Championship over the last 18 months. With five goals and assists during his time at Plymouth, Stoke is banking on Cundle to enhance their offensive output, which has seen only 24 goals scored in the Championship this season. Stoke’s ambition in the transfer market suggests a potential overhaul under Schumacher, but the team will need to translate this ambition into on-field success, especially considering their recent struggles with just one win in their last 13 matches.