3 Tom Cannon replacements Stoke City should look to sign after Leicester City recall | OneFootball

We have identified three possible Potters signings after Cannon was recalled by Leicester

Stoke City's January fears have been confirmed with Tom Cannon recalled by Leicester City after an impressive loan spell in the Potteries, so now their search for a new striker must begin to accelerate with Mark Robins in desperate need of new additions up front.

The Potters took a risk when they agreed to a recall clause in Cannon's loan deal in the summer window, and while the 22-year-old was their go-to man for goals in the first-half of the season under Steven Schumacher, Narcis Pelach and the recently-appointed Robins, they now must plan for life without his impact after Leicester confirmed their decision on Wednesday morning.

Stoke's board and sporting director Jonathan Walters will no doubt have anticipated that they could end up in this situation, given that numerous promotion-chasing clubs are after a clinical striker, and the club currently sit 19th in the second-tier, so targets may well have been identified and talks could be in progress, but no concrete links to a potential new forward signing have emerged as yet.

With that in mind, Football League World have picked out three Tom Cannon replacements that the club should look to sign as soon as possible.

Ben Brereton Diaz

There is no denying that a move for Southampton forward Ben Brereton Diaz would be a pretty ambitious one for Stoke to make this month, given his profile and reports linking him to higher-placed clubs, but the Potters have a special place in the 25-year-old's heart, and could tempt him with a return to his hometown this month.

Brereton Diaz was born and raised in Stoke-on-Trent as a Potters fan, but despite being on the club's books for two years as a youngster, he was released from the academy in 2015, and instead earned his first taste of senior action at Nottingham Forest in 2017.

His City Ground form soon saw him earn a £7m move to Blackburn Rovers, and he eventually proved his Championship credentials after a slow start at Ewood Park, as he netted 22 times in 37 league games in 2021/22, and then 14 times in 43 outings in 2022/23.

By that time he was a fully-fledged Chile international, and so a switch to Spanish side Villarreal came about in 2023, but six months later he was back on loan in England with Premier League outfit Sheffield United, where he impressed despite their tough season and bagged six goals in 14 top-flight games.

Southampton moved to secure his services on a permanent deal last summer after their return to the Premier League, but he has not really taken to life on the south coast, and the Sheffield Star have reported that the Saints are hoping to create an auction situation for the services of the Chile international, with the Blades, Sunderland, and his former club Blackburn all keen on a move.

Given Cannon's recall situation, Stoke must now join the queue of Championship clubs that want to sign the 25-year-old. He is a local lad, and has previously stated his desire to one day play for the club that he grew up supporting, so if a loan deal works for all parties, it seems like a complete no-brainer to try and tempt him back to North Staffordshire for the next few months.

Ali Al-Hamadi

Striker Ali Al-Hamadi has enjoyed a stunning rise to the top in recent years and currently plies his trade with Ipswich Town in the Premier League after he joined from fourth-tier AFC Wimbledon in the January window and helped Kieran McKenna's side achieve a historic promotion from the second-tier in May.

The Iraqi international mostly featured off the bench in the second half of last season and while he did bag some important goals for the Tractor Boys in key games, it seemed likely that they were set to allow him to leave in the summer window.

They reportedly received loan enquiries from numerous Championship clubs for the 22-year-old towards the end of the summer, but he surprisingly stayed at Portman Road, and he has found opportunities at a premium in the top-flight behind the likes of Liam Delap, Conor Chaplin and George Hirst.

Al-Hamadi has played just 13 times for the Tractor Boys so far this season, with one EFL Cup goal to his name, while just two of those appearances have been starts, so he is surely set to leave on loan this month when possible, especially if new additions are made to McKenna's frontline.

The Potters would likely stand a decent chance of loaning in Al-Hamadi in the coming weeks if he is to become available, given that he would be guaranteed regular playing-time, and would also get the chance to work under boss Robins, who is known for his nurturing of young players.

Richard Kone

Another different, but realistic, option for Stoke this month could be a transfer approach to Wycombe Wanderers for their in-form centre-forward Richard Kone, but they would likely face stiff competition for his services given his strong showings so far this season.

Like Al-Hamadi, Kone has experienced a similarly quick rise to EFL stardom over the last few years, as he was playing for Essex Senior League side Athletic Newham just over a year ago, after first arriving in the United Kingdom to play in the Homeless World Cup for the Ivory Coast in 2019.

Kone was courted by both Premier League and EFL teams throughout his time in non-league, but he joined Wycombe last January after an extended trial, and he made an immediate impact with a goal in the EFL Trophy quarter-finals on his debut for the club.

He finished his first half-season in professional football with four goals and four assists in 21 games in all competitions, and has kicked on even further this time around to become one of League One's leading marksmen, with 16 strikes and two assists in 34 games up to now to surely win numerous Championship suitors ahead of a potential move away from Adams Park this month.

Kone signed a new two-year deal with the Chairboys in November, likely to increase his wages to better reflect his worth to the club, but it remains to be seen what kind of fee it would take to prise him from their grasp in the coming weeks.

Stoke are having to be careful with their finances this month due to concerns around Profit and Sustainability Rules and Financial Fair Play, but if they believe a deal for Kone makes sense, they must start to make moves as soon as possible before another club steals in and signs him.