Stoke City are now hoping to make Slovakia striker Robert Bozenik their fifth signing of the summer.
Stoke are reported to have been working on a move for the 25-year-old forward throughout the summer, but the process has been complex, notably due to his contract position at crisis club Boavista.
He has not been a free agent, despite stories to the contrary, and there has been a slew of red tape to work through, as well as considerable interest from other parties. Even this week, it appeared that it would not cross the finish line.
Bozenik has previously had last-minute signings to Seville and Real Salt Lake fall through, but Stoke should be able to integrate him into Mark Robins’ growing squad now that they have surmounted barriers.
He has spent the last two seasons playing in Portugal’s top flight, and he was named Boavista player of the year in 2024. He had previously played for Feyenoord and on loan at Fortuna Dusseldorf, after rising through the ranks at Slovakian club Zilina, where he has recently trained to stay fit.
He is 6ft 2in and athletic, having won 52 caps and competing in Euro 2024 last summer, leading the line in an opening group game victory over Belgium and against England, when Jude Bellingham scored a 95th-minute winner.
So far this window, Robins and Jon Walters have signed permanent deals for Sorba Thomas, Maksym Talovierov, and Aaron Cresswell, as well as a season-long loan for Divin Mubama.
Stoke have been able to secure the sale of Wouter Burger to help with cash flow as they deal with financial fair play constraints, and his departure leaves a vacancy in central midfield, especially with Sol Sidibe’s situation still unresolved. That may not be filled immediately, but it is fair to say that the recruitment team has been planning for all possibilities.
Emre Tezgel is poised to sign a loan deal as he aims to play more regularly in the next stage of his development after signing a new contract with Stoke. If Stoke sanction a loan to League One once Bozenik is in the building, Nathan Lowe will be in high demand.
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