Stoke City would be wise to consider £0 swoop for ex-Swansea City man

Stoke City should think about making a £0 raid for the former Swansea City player.

Even though he is 35 years old, many people consider the free transfer of veteran Aaron Cresswell to be a coup because Maksym Talovierov was one of the standouts for Plymouth Argyle, who narrowly lost to relegation to League One the previous season. But full-back Lynden Gooch left the team to join League One promotion contenders Huddersfield Town, leaving Mark Robins with only Junior Tchamadeu as a recognised right-back.

After being played sparingly in the 2023–24 season after joining from Colchester United, the 21-year-old had a breakthrough season in the Potters’ squad last season and appears to be the team’s first choice for the upcoming season. However, there is no assurance that Tchamadeu will stay at the bet365 Stadium past the transfer deadline of September 1st, as Crystal Palace is apparently keeping an eye on his circumstances and lurking in the background.

In any case, free agent Cyrus Christie might be the replacement for Mark Robins, who will need a new right-back to support Tchamadeu if he remains and could even replace him if he leaves. Due to their squad’s average age of 24.1, which is the second youngest in the entire Championship, Stoke City was criticised at times during the previous season for being too young and inexperienced.

Million Manhoef, Bae Junho, and Tchamadeu were able to establish themselves in the second division as a result, but occasionally this was the reason given for a comparatively weak season. Mark Robins, who is hoping to perhaps better balance exciting young players and seasoned heads this season, will find it very helpful to bring in players like Talovierov and Sorba Thomas, who are both of average age and have good Championship experience, either recently or over time.

According to a report published on July 21 by journalist Pete O’Rourke on his X account, Christie is considering several Championship options in addition to receiving interest from the MLS and the Middle East. With 331 appearances in the second division throughout his career, Christie adds to that experience. He has played for several teams that have come close to the top, including Fulham, which twice won promotion to the Premier League.

Despite being included in 34 matchday squads, Christie only made 11 league appearances and started just two Championship games for Swansea last season, settling into the role of backup. Therefore, it would seem like a good decision for Stoke to pursue it later in the transfer window in order to add a 32-year-old with a wealth of experience and strong leadership who could be happy to serve as a backup to a younger, more exciting up-and-comer for free.

The added benefit of signing Christie this season is that, should he be given consistent playing time, he might still perform well in the event that Tchamadeu was acquired by a Premier League team or, regrettably, was sidelined by injury.

According to Fotmob, his aerial duals won per 90 minutes last season put him at the top of the Championship’s centre-back charts. Not too long ago, the 32-year-old was contributing to the Hull City team, which just missed out on the play-offs under Liam Rosenior in the 2023–24 season.

Christie represents a typical low-risk, high-reward type of signing in that, for a free transfer, he won’t be required to instantly come in and play starting minutes week in week out, but if required, he could do a solid job in Mark Robins’ backline.

The main focus will be ensuring that Junior Tchamadeu remains at The bet365 Stadium, but if he were to leave, Christie wouldn’t be a terrible replacement.

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