Stoke City: Josh Laurent transfer stance emerges amid Championship and European interest | OneFootball

Josh Laurent is set to be the subject of transfer speculation this summer

Stoke City’s Josh Laurent is attracting interest from the Championship and Turkey this transfer window.

And according to The Athletic, the Potters are open to his sale this summer if an acceptable offer arrives.

It has previously been claimed that Turkish outfit Gaziantep had shown an interest in completing a deal for the 29-year-old.

Laurent signed for Stoke two years ago, arriving from Reading as a free agent following the end of his contract.

But his deal with the Championship club expires in the next 12 months, which could open the door to a permanent exit this summer in order to avoid the same fate as the Royals.

Stoke City: Josh Laurent transfer interest emerges from rival Championship clubs

Laurent was a regular presence in the side last year as the team earned a 17th place finish in the table.

The midfielder featured 37 times in the Championship, including in 30 starts, as he helped the club avoid relegation to League One after a positive surge of results under Steven Schumacher towards the end of the campaign.

However, he could depart from the bet365 Stadium this summer, with those inside the club reportedly open to his sale if the right offer arrives.

It remains unclear which of Stoke’s Championship rivals are keen on signing the versatile player this summer, or what kind of fee could convince the club to cash in.

It was claimed last summer that Italian side Frosinone had lodged a bid to sign the player late on in the window.

The then-Serie A team offered a loan deal with a €4 million (£3.4 million) option to buy clause, but no agreement was reached between the two clubs, and it is unclear whether they will reignite their interest this year following their relegation to the second tier.

Top flight Turkish outfit Gaziantep, who finished 11th in the Super Lig last season, have made a fresh bid this summer, but have yet to get confirmation from the player that he is interested, but the opportunity to move away from English football is still on the table if it’s something he wants to pursue.

Stoke City’s summer business so far

Schumacher has already added a few new faces to his squad ahead of the upcoming Championship season.

Eric Junior Bocat, Viktor Johansson and Ben Gibson have all signed, with new technical director Jonathan Walters also likely involved in the recruitment process.

The Potters are also reportedly one of several second tier sides interested in Crystal Palace’s Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, but it remains to be seen if they can convince him to join.

Stoke have until 30 August to complete any remaining deals, as the club targets an improvement on their disappointing 17th place finish last season.

Stoke City losing Josh Laurent on a free next summer should be avoided at all costs

While Laurent has proven a useful asset to the squad during his time with the club so far, losing him for nothing in 2025 wouldn’t really be worthwhile.

If the Potters hierarchy can get a good offer for him this summer, then they should absolutely be weighing that up.

Any raised funds can go towards further investment into new signings, which will help with Schumacher’s rebuild of the team.