Left-back emerges on Stoke City transfer radar

Eric Junior Bocat has been attracting scouts to St. Truiden in Belgium.
-Credit: (Image: Alex Gottschalk/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)


Sint-Truiden left-back Eric Bocat is believed to be a player of interest to Stoke City.

The France-born 24-year-old defender has been attracting scouts to the Belgian top flight over the last three seasons, playing for Mouscron before joining St Truiden in 2022. He has a year left on his contract but has recently been linked to clubs including Trabzonspor and Leicester City and there was exit gossip during the winter too.

His agent posted a clip of flying from Brussels to Manchester yesterday, which might set tongues wagging, but it is understood that there is no deal done yet to join Stoke.

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Stoke have signed up Enda Stevens, aged 33, for a further 12 months and he hopes to be available more next season than he has up to this point due to injury. When fit, he was an influential figure for Steven Schumacher and, before him, Alex Neil.

Schumacher and sporting director Jon Walters have already addressed two key positions during the close season, bringing in keeper Viktor Johansson from Rotherham after triggering a relegation release clause and centre-back Ben Gibson, who is a free agent after leaving Norwich.

It remains clear that a striker will be a priority having released Tyrese Campbell at the end of last term.

What position should be Stoke's priority? Have your say in the comments section