Stoke City handed a clear Lewis Baker reminder: View | OneFootball

The midfielder has been linked with a move elsewhere this summer

There has been plenty for Stoke City fans to keep an eye on over the course of the summer transfer window.

With the Potters looking to put together a squad capable of climbing the Championship table under Steven Schumacher, there have been plenty of incomings to the first-team squad.

Others have, of course, also moved on, being released to find new clubs, or with sales and loans for their services being agreed.

Beyond that, there has been speculation about potential departures for a number of players who are still on the club's books for the time being.

One such Stoke City player who has indeed found himself in that situation, is Lewis Baker.

Championship rivals linked with Stoke midfielder

Earlier this summer, reports had claimed that Blackburn Rovers are keen to complete a deal to sign Baker from the Potters this summer.

The 29-year-old has been with the club since January 2022, and is now into the final year of his contract at the Bet365Stadium.

As a result, there may be a temptation among some of those of a Stoke City persuasion, to cash in on him while they still have the chance to do so this summer.

That is particularly the case, when considering his somewhat limited involvement for the club last season.

However, there now seems to be an argument that on the evidence seen at the start of this season, there is a strong case to be made for the Potters keeping hold of Baker, despite his contract situation, and that interest from elsewhere.

Lewis Baker can still be a key man for Steven Schumacher's side

It has been a strong start to the campaign for Stoke, who began with a 1-0 win over Coventry City in the Championship.

That was then followed up with a 2-0 victory over League Two side Carlisle United on Tuesday night, in the first round of the Carabao Cup.

On both occasions, Baker had a significant role to play in those successes for the Potters.

Having started the season on the bench, the midfielder came on to score the only goal in the victory over Coventry, linking up with Million Manhoef to break into the area, before firing in from a tight angle just moments after his introduction.

With that enough to secure an opening three points for the Potters, Baker was handed his first start of the season against Carlisle in the cup in midweek.

After a goalless first-half, it was Baker who again got Stoke moving in that game, dictating a short free-kick routine that ended with him dinking a ball to the back post, where Freddie Anderson was on hand to head home the opener.

In both those games, Baker showed he still has the attacking quality needed to stand up and make a telling contribution in front of goal.

That can evidently come in the form of both finishing chances and creating them, a valuable commodity for any club to have coming from midfield.

It is also worth noting that, at 29-years-old, Baker is one of the more senior players within this Stoke squad.

In a relatively young side, that experience could be vital in terms of helping to guide this team through the challenges of the campaign.

Indeed, that will certainly prove to be the case if the midfielder continues to step up and take responsibility in front of goal, as he has done in those past two games.

So, with all that in mind, it seems that amid all the uncertainty around his future, Baker has given Stoke a clear reminder this week, of just how worthwhile it could be to keep him for this season.