Football League World
·21 July 2023
Football League World
·21 July 2023
footballleagueworld video of the day
Stoke City are set to sign Ki-Jana Hoever and Chiquinho on loan from Wolves for the upcoming Championship season.
Right-back Hoever is well-known to Stoke fans, as he joined the Potters on loan in January and impressed, scoring four goals in 15 appearances from a wing-back position.
Meanwhile, Chiquinho is viewed as a very exciting talent at Molineux, but he suffered a serious knee injury 12 months ago that meant he missed the previous campaign.
Now, the Portuguese winger is back fit, and Telegraph reporter John Percy has revealed that the pair will make the short move from Wolves to Stoke after deals were struck between the clubs.
“Stoke have agreed a double deal with Wolves to sign Ki-Jana Hoever and Chiquinho on loan for the season. Hoever completed his medical on Thursday and will also sign a contract extension at Wolves. Both players will have recall options in January."
Stoke fans will know all about Hoever after his spell at the Bet365 Stadium last season, and they will be pleased to get him back at the club.
But, they may know less about Chiquinho, who has made just nine appearances for Wanderers.
The 23-year-old joined Wolves in January 2022, and he was a real positive in a difficult period towards the end of that season under Bruno Lage. A winger, Chiquinho impressed with his direct style and his crossing ability, which saw him register a few assists despite his limited game time.
So, there were high hopes for the former Estoril man going into last season, but a serious knee injury picked up from a bad tackle in pre-season meant he was out for the best part of a year.
He is now back fit, and has been training with Julen Lopetegui’s side ahead of the new season, with some fans expecting him to become an important member of the squad moving forward after Adama Traore’s departure. However, he will be linking up with Stoke.
Even though he predominantly featured on the right side for Wolves, Chiquinho played in different attacking positions for Estoril.
The update from Percy suggests that everything is all sorted here, so they’re both at a very advanced stage, and you would expect an announcement swiftly.
The recall option is natural from Wolves’ perspective, as they will want both players to get game time, and it will be interesting to see if they can both force their way into Alex Neil’s XI.
Either way, it seems they will be part of the Stoke squad quickly, which will give them time to meet their new teammates, and then feature in pre-season games ahead of the Championship opener against Rotherham on August 5.
It was always going to be a very busy summer for Stoke due to the number of players that left, and Neil will no doubt be happy with the business they have managed to do.
Adding Hoever and Chiquinho seem like exciting additions, and they will both add more pace and energy to the side. So, the boss will be pleased with how the team is shaping up at this stage of the window.