Yahoo News Every deal in Stoke City transfer window as Tom Cannon swoop makes for dramatic finale
Stoke City made a deadline day swoop for Leicester striker Tom Cannon in a dramatic end to the transfer window.
Cannon and midfielder Tatsuki Seko are joining Stoke to put the finishing touches of squad building to Jon Walters and Steven Schumacher’s first summer at the club. Stoke were able to muscle to the front of a long queue for Cannon, aged 21, who was wanted by half the Championship. Months of leg work paid off in the end and he is arriving on a season-long loan deal.
Seko, who can play as a defensive or box-to-box role, is signing on a permanent deal from Kawasaki Frontale. The 26-year-old flew into England this week waiting for Stoke to create vacancies in their midfield department - and that was done in the final 48 hours before deadline with the exits of Josh Laurent, Lewis Baker and Daniel Johnson.
RECAP: How deadline day unravelled at Stoke City
READ MORE: How Tom Cannon fits into Steven Schumacher squad
Walters said: “It’s no exaggeration to say that most clubs in the Championship wanted to sign Tom this summer, so it’s a huge vote of confidence that he has opted for Stoke City.
“His arrival is testament to his faith in the squad we are building and in the way he believes we can develop him as a footballer, and I can’t wait to see him representing our club on the field. With the signings we have made this summer adding to the attacking quality we already had in the building, we believe we now have the firepower to climb the table and enjoy a successful campaign.”
Johnson, aged 31, has left by mutual consent having not started a league game since Blackburn, a fateful day when he missed a penalty.
Baker, aged 29, has joined Blackburn on a season-long loan deal that will take him to the end of his Stoke contract. He scored the winning goal for Stoke on the opening day but knew he was not a big part of Schumacher’s plans this term.
“We had some discussions earlier on in the window and they picked back up again in the last 48 hours, which I was delighted about,” said Baker, who had joined Stoke in January 2022 and served one season as captain.
“I had long discussions with my agent about it and we felt it was a place where I can really improve and help bring my qualities to the team. I wasn’t going to be in the plans at my previous club, this was an opportunity that arose and it was something I wanted to get stuck into.”
He could make his debut today against Burnley, who made an 11th hour bid for Laurent, an undisclosed fee believed to be worth up to £1m, with £500,000 up front.
Laurent, aged 29, was in the final year of his contract at Stoke and had already handed over the captain’s armband to Ben Gibson. He has signed a two-year deal with Burnley with the option of a third.
Walters, who will watch Stoke take on Plymouth in the Championship today (3pm), said: “Having strengthened our group with eight new signings during the transfer window so far, we knew that – to balance the numbers in the squad – some players would need to leave as well.
“We feel, therefore, that this is the right thing for Lewis and the club at this point, and we of course wish him well.”
He added: “With Josh entering the final year of his contract, Burnley submitted an offer which we believed was in the club’s best interests to accept. He leaves with our thanks for his efforts in a Stoke City shirt and our best wishes for his future career.”
STOKE CITY SUMMER BUSINESS
In: Viktor Johansson (Rotherham, undisclosed), Ben Gibson (Norwich, free), Eric Bocat (Sint-Truiden, undisclosed), Sam Gallagher (Blackburn, undisclosed), Bosun Lawal (Celtic, undisclosed), Lewis Koumas (Liverpool, loan), Andrew Moran (Brighton, loan), Ashley Phillips (Spurs, loan), Tom Cannon (Leicester, loan), Tatsuki Seko (Kawasaki Frontale, undisclosed)
Under-21s signings: Chinoso Chibueze (Chelsea, free), Noah Cooper (Arsenal, free), Francis Gyimah (Liverpool, free), KIeron Willox (Rangers, free), Wiktor Gromek (Lecce, undisclosed), Japhet Matondo (Cardiff, undisclosed)
Out: Tommy Simkin (Walsall, loan), Matt Baker (Newport County, undisclosed), David Okagbue (Walsall, undisclosed), Liam McCarron (Northampton Town, undisclosed), Mehdi Leris (Pisa, undisclosed), Tyrese Campbell (Sheffield United, free), Ciaran Clark (released), Tom Curl (released), Tom Edwards (Salford City, free), Ian Kamga (released), Ben Kershaw (Hyde United, free), Blondy Nna Noukeu (Sunderland, free), Kahrel Reddin (Altrincham, free), Sonny Singh (released), Tom Sparrow (Motherwell, free), Wesley (Fatih Karagumruk, free), D’Margio Wright-Phillips (Beerschot, free), Nathan Lowe (Walsall, loan), Daniel Johnson (released), Lewis Baker (Blackburn, loan), Josh Laurent (Burnley, undisclosed)
Loan players returned to parent clubs: Luke Cundle, Sead Haksabanovic (since moved from Celtic to Malmo, undisclosed), Ki-Jana Hoever, Daniel Iversen, Luke McNally
