Stoke City player who Steven Schumacher axed in 23/24 must be fearing for his future: View | OneFootball

Stoke City midfielder Daniel Johnson is facing an uncertain future this summer.

Stoke City will be hoping for a much-improved campaign in the Championship in the upcoming 2024-25 season.

It was another disappointing season for the Potters last term as they were dragged into a relegation battle, but a strong end to the campaign saw them achieve safety.

Stoke have made three new signings this summer as head coach Steven Schumacher looks to rebuild his squad, with Viktor Johansson, Ben Gibson and Eric Bocat arriving at the bet365 Stadium, and there are likely to be more to come.

A number of players have left the club at the end of their contracts, including the likes of Ciaran Clark, Tom Edwards, D'Margio Wright-Phillips, Wesley and Tyrese Campbell, and Schumacher hinted that while nothing is imminent, he may look to sanction the departure of some of those who are not in his plans later in the transfer window.

"There’s no movement on any of the players who might move out to go to get game time. All the things will fall into place as and when we put our squad together," Schumacher told Stoke-on-Trent Live.

One player who could be vulnerable is midfielder Daniel Johnson, who struggled for game time in the second half of last season.

After a hugely successful spell at Preston North End, in which he scored 57 goals and provided 38 assists in 336 appearances in an eight-and-a-half year stint, Johnson joined the Potters last summer, reuniting with then-manager Alex Neil, who he worked with during his time at Deepdale.

Johnson was a regular starter during the first half of the campaign, but he lost his place in the team shortly after Neil was sacked in December, and his time at the club could be set to come to an end.

Stoke City could look to sell Daniel Johnson this summer

Johnson was dropped by Schumacher early in his tenure, and there were reports that the midfielder was one of the players Stoke were willing to sell in the January transfer window.

The 31-year-old has made just seven appearances under Schumacher, and he has not featured since missing a penalty in the 3-1 defeat at Blackburn Rovers in February, making the bench on just one occasion in the final three months of the season.

The loss at Ewood Park proved to be something of a turning point in Stoke's season, with the Potters going on to lose just five more games as they secured survival, which made it difficult for Johnson to get back into the team.

Schumacher is yet to bring in any midfield reinforcements this summer, and with uncertainty over the futures of Lewis Baker and Josh Laurent, Johnson could be given an opportunity if the pair were to depart.

Baker has been linked with a move to Blackburn Rovers, but he established himself as a crucial player under Schumacher in the second half of the campaign, so it seems unlikely Stoke would be willing to sell to a Championship rival.

The Potters are reportedly open to selling Laurent as he enters the final year of his contract, and they accepted a £500,000 bid from Sivasspor earlier this month, but the 29-year-old rejected a move to the Turkish side.

Birmingham City are also keen on Laurent, but he is said to be "unlikely" to want to drop down to League One, and as things stand, he looks set to be part of Schumacher's squad at the start of the season.

With Baker and Laurent still at the club, Johnson's minutes could remain restricted, and after being left out of the Jamaica squad for this summer's Copa America, the midfielder will know that he needs to play regular football to force his way back into contention at international level.

There is no doubt that Johnson was an excellent performer during his time at Preston, but it has not worked out for him at the bet365 Stadium, and it seems that his best days may be behind him.

Stoke are unlikely to be able to receive a big fee for Johnson given his age, but with just one year remaining on his contract, they may look to cash in on him this summer, and his exit would be the right move for all parties.