A huge change is surely expected at Stoke City this summer - Mark Robins won't put up with it | OneFootball

The Potters need a fresh start as Robins looks to build a culture of success at the bet365 Stadium

Stoke City are surely set to undergo a real overhaul of their squad in the coming months, with Mark Robins due to take charge of his first summer transfer window at the bet365 Stadium and serious improvements needed following another disappointing campaign at the wrong end of the table.

The Potters headed into this season with the hope that Steven Schumacher would be the right man to take them forward in the Championship, after he had guided them to safety from relegation at the end of the 2023/24 campaign and then oversaw what looked to be a relatively successful summer window.

Schumacher was given little time to work with what he had, after being sacked in mid-September, to many fans and neutrals' surprise, and the club took a gamble in appointing rookie Spanish head-coach Narcis Pelach to take the reins, which failed dramatically as he lasted all of three months in charge and was then relieved of his duties in December, after winning just three of his 19 games in charge.

In came Robins at the turn of the year, and he has been able to steady the ship in ST4, with the Potters set to avoid relegation to League One once again.

There are wholesale changes that need to be made to his squad this summer, however, and he will have to take no prisoners when it comes to key decisions in the club's best interests as they look to finally improve and push up the league next season.

Mark Robins is planning a summer of real change at Stoke City

Stoke have struggled for stability since their relegation from the Premier League in 2018. The fact they are still yet to finish in the top-half of the Championship since then sums up their issues, which started at board level and have fed down into the coaches and players over the years.

Robins is a master of steadying the ship, as shown by his stellar job done in charge of Coventry City prior to his surprise sacking in November last year. The 55-year-old guided the Sky Blues from League Two to the Championship amid serious financial issues, and even took them to within a penalty shoot-out of being in the Premier League in 2023, as well as an FA Cup semi-final last year.

There is hope at the bet365 Stadium that he could have a similar effect on the Potters in the long-term, albeit on a smaller scale, but that starts with keeping things on track in the short-term. He has been able to guide them away from the Championship bottom three in recent weeks, and planning can now tentatively begin for next season in the second-tier.

The Sun have previously claimed that Robins will look for a major change in recruitment plans in the summer, having been alarmed by the thin squad passed on to him that is mainly made up of young players and inexperienced loan signings.

Stoke have moved to start planning for the summer with an appointment at board level, as Ian Torrance was appointed as their new Head of Recruitment last month following a stint in the same position with Italian side Como and previous experience at Southampton.

Sporting director Jon Walters has insisted that Torrance is "obsessed, works really hard and has a really good knowledge across the board," so supporters could have a lot to look forward to if he is able to identify solid, realistic signings in the months to come.

Stoke

It is clear that the people in power at Stoke need to be aligned in their aims for this summer's upcoming transfer window. That will start with the decisions that need to be made on players that are coming to the end of their respective contracts, with the likes of Lewis Baker, Jordan Thompson and Emre Tezgel set to leave in June if nothing happens.

Baker has been massively influential since he returned from a loan spell at Blackburn Rovers in January, and it feels like a no-brainer to offer him a new deal this summer, despite him now being 30-years-old. Thompson has impressed at times, but a recent injury could derail his chances of fresh terms, while Tezgel looks set to leave, even though he is highly-rated and could become a top striker in the future.

Robins will also need to make decisions on the likes of Lynden Gooch, Enda Stevens, Michael Rose, Jack Bonham and Frank Fielding, and given how the Potters need to have a real fresh start this summer, it would not be a shock to see each of those five experienced players depart soon.

Not only do Stoke face losing a chunk of players as their contracts expire, but they are also likely to field interest in some of their best players in the coming months, with at least one high-profile outgoing surely likely as they toe the line regarding financial fair play (FFP) and profit and sustainability rules (PSR).

Viktor Johansson has been named as the Potters' Player of the Season for this campaign, and has already reportedly attracted attention from the likes of AFC Bournemouth and Como, while Wouter Burger nearly left in January to join FC Midtjylland, and impressive wingers Million Manhoef and Bae Jun-ho could move on for potentially sizeable fees amid interest in their services.

Not only that, but Robins will face decisions on whether to pursue a permanent deal for any of the five Premier League loanees in his current squad. Spurs centre-back Ashley Phillips is likely the only one of those that has impressed enough for that to be the case, but then he himself may well be aiming higher for next season.

It is clear that Stoke could have a new-look squad by the time the 2025/26 season rolls around in August, which is all well and good considering this term's shortfalls, but Robins needs to make sure it has the right balance and firepower for the club to finally begin to climb the table under his guidance.