Stoke, Swansea and Oxford competing for European top-flight transfer deal | OneFootball

The three Championship clubs are in a race for a new full-back

Highlights

Stoke City, Swansea City and Oxford United are all interested in signing right-back Max Johnston from Sturm Graz before the transfer window closes.

That's according to a report from Football Insider, who say that the trio are eyeing a loan deal for the 20-year-old.

Johnston joined Graz last summer, joining from Scottish Premiership side Motherwell following the expiration of his contract at Fir Park.

He then helped his new side to a domestic league and cup double in Austria during the 2023/24 campaign.

That form also earned him a call-up to the Scotland senior side, although he is yet to make his full debut at international level.

However, it now seems as though the right-back could be set for another move this summer, with a return to the British Isles potentially on the cards.

Championship trio keen on Max Johnston

As per this latest update, Stoke, Swansea and Oxford are all looking to complete a loan deal for Johnston this summer.

It is thought that a temporary move away could be beneficial for the right-back's development this season.

Those three sides will face competition for his services however, with there also said to be interest in Johnston from elsewhere in Europe.

As things stand, there are still three years remaining on Johnston's contract with Sturm Graz, securing his future in Austria until the end of the 2026/27 season.

Stoke and Oxford began their Championship campaigns with wins over Coventry and Norwich respectively last weekend, while Swansea were beaten away at Middlesbrough.

Friday night sees Oxford travel to Coventry, while Stoke go to Watford and Swansea host Preston on Saturday afternoon.

All three clubs have already been active in the transfer market across the course of this summer.

Stoke have made six new signings, with Oxford adding nine players to their first-team squad, and Swansea making four new additions at senior level.

Johnston could be a good signing for Stoke, Swansea or Oxford

There is an argument that the signing of Johnston could be a useful signing for one of these three Championship clubs to make.

Obviously, at 20-years-old, he is still relatively inexperienced, as he looks for more game time at this stage of his career.

However, it is worth noting that he does already have top-flight experience in Scotland and Austria under his belt, being part of some significant success last season as well.

It is also worth noting that Johnston also competed in European football with Sturm Graz during the 2023/24 campaign.

As a result, it does seem as though he has the pedigree required to do a job in the Championship for the likes of Stoke, Swansea or Oxford.

The Potters in particular may need some extra depth at right-back, with Junior Tchamedeu their only real first-team option in that role.

By contrast, Swansea and Oxford do have more individuals capable of playing that position, and so may be in a better position to cope if they do not get this deal done.

As a result, the pressure may be more on Steven Schumacher's side to get this deal over the line before the window closes.