Breaking News:2 Bargain Free Transfers Stoke City Could Target, Featuring a Promising Midfielder

Stoke City must undertake some shrewd transfer business in the last stages of the summer window to give themselves the best opportunity of finishing in the top half of the Championship this season. Schumacher will hope to build on a successful finish to the season in the coming months, after Stoke avoided relegation and ended 17th in the second tier in 2023-24.

The Potters have yet to enter the free agent market this summer, but they did sign centre-back Ben Gibson after his Norwich City contract expired, and they have brought three other new faces to the club thus far, with goalkeeper Viktor Johansson, wing-back Eric Bocat, and striker Sam Gallagher joining from Rotherham United, Sint-Truiden, and Blackburn Rovers, respectively. Stoke are expecting a hectic August of incomings and outgoings as Schumacher forms his squad, and he may search for some unattached bargains in the coming weeks to provide depth to his squad and allow him to spend money on other positions.

With that said, we’ve identified two free agents who Stoke should consider signing ahead of the upcoming season.

Lorenzo Rajot will be obscure to most English football fans, but he has carved out a solid career for himself in his home France over the last few years, and he may be seeking for a change of scenery this summer after departing Ligue 2 club Rodez at the end of June. The 26-year-old is a central, box-to-box midfielder by trade and can also play deeper, but has found his finest form with Rodez in an advanced number eight role over the last two seasons, which would make him the ideal match for Schumacher’s system if a move was investigated.

Rajot made his league debut for boyhood club Clermont Foot in 2017 and appeared over 50 times for Les Lanciers over the next four seasons, struggling to secure a starting berth but playing a minor role in the club’s historic first promotion to Ligue 1 in 2020/21.

He moved to Rodez that same summer and, despite an underwhelming debut season, quickly established himself as one of their standout players, scoring three goals and four assists in 37 games in 2022/23. He improved on that with eight goals and five assists in 42 appearances last season, propelling Le RAF to fourth place in Ligue 2, but they were eliminated in the play-off semi-finals by St Etienne.

Rajot left Rodez in June after failing to agree on an extension to his expiring contract, despite the club’s reported desire to keep him, and is now at a crossroads in his career as he seeks a new opportunity, so Stoke should pursue him to add some flair and creativity to a midfield that currently lacks a playmaker.

The 26-year-old was a top player in the French second-tier, which is comparable to the Championship, and he was rated in the top 10% of Ligue 2 midfielders for progressive passes per 90, shot and goal-creating actions per 90 last season, according to FBref, so he would be an exciting signing for the Potters as they look to push into the Championship top half. He is expected to be of interest to a number of clubs in his home France, but no firm details about his future have emerged, so Stoke could have a free run at his signature if they want to pursue it in the coming weeks.

Stoke’s desire for a striker this summer has been well-documented, and Aaron Connolly might be a low-risk, high-reward option for Steven Schumacher as he looks for a new club after leaving Hull City at the end of last season. The Galway-born striker went to England in 2016 to join Brighton & Hove Albion’s under-18 group. He was quickly promoted to the first team and made his senior debut at the age of 17 in an EFL Cup win over Barnet in August 2017.

He was sent on loan to League One Luton Town in the 2018/19 campaign, but failed to make an impact, so it would have taken many Seagulls fans by surprise to see him consistently involved with the first-team at the start of 2019/20, and he quickly netted a brace on his first Premier League start against Tottenham Hotspur in October 2019, and went on to finish the season with three goals in 27 appearances.

Connolly was used as a bit-part player by Brighton for the next three seasons, with disappointing loan spells at Middlesbrough in the Championship and Venezia in Serie B. He then joined Hull on a six-month loan in January 2023, and appeared to have found some form after impressing with two goals in his first five games, but then suffered a broken toe in February, ending his season early.

The Republic of Ireland international signed a permanent one-year contract with Liam Rosenior’s side last summer, and began to truly show what he is capable of in 2023/24, scoring eight goals in the first half of the season and appearing at ease at the KCOM Stadium, but then suffered more injuries in the second half of the season, appearing only four times from February onwards.

He is free to join another club this summer after Hull did not renew his contract in May, and Stoke should be keen in bringing him to the bet365 Stadium to give depth to their front line. The Potters were the sixth-lowest scorers in the second tier last season, and while Sam Gallagher has been added to their strike squad, additional additions are required if they are to improve in front of goal.

Connolly is a step up from Niall Ennis and has more senior experience than Emre Tezgel and Nathan Lowe, so Stoke should bring him in on a short-term agreement, as Hull did, with an eye on the long term if he performs well. There will be no charge due to his free agent status, and at 24, he still has a lot to give and the potential to improve, so it appears to be a good deal if Stoke choose to spend their finances elsewhere this month.