Stoke City midfielder Josh Laurent is the target of interest from Turkish outfit Gaziantep.
Reports from Turkey have linked the Süper Lig side with a move for the former Reading player. They are said to be “accelerating,” plans to sign him, and they have been in contact with Laurent’s representatives, as per the reports.
The 29-year-old’s current deal with the Potters is set to expire next summer, meaning that Gaziantep would be able to sign him on a pre-contract agreement after January 1, 2025, meaning he would leave the club for free.
Laurent has been with City for the past two seasons, appearing 76 times in all competitions and scoring eight goals.
Stoke City may be open to Josh Laurent sale this summer
Liam Burks, Football League World’s Stoke fan pundit, has said that he isn’t surprised by the interest in the midfielder, having previously attracted the attention of Italian side Frosinone last summer, as they attempted a €4 million loan-to-buy offer, according to Fabrizio Romano.
He may not be the only potential midfielder exit before the transfer window closes though, with Burks tipping Lewis Baker for a potential exit too.
“Laurent having interest from a Turkish side doesn’t surprise me,” Burks told FLW.
“He had quite strong interest from an Italian side last season.
“I will be surprised if either Lewis Baker or Laurent are here. I think that one of them will maybe be here, but I don’t think that both will be here.
“A decent price would probably be a couple of million for him.
“The thing with him is he can either stick out as one of the better players on the pitch or, for me, he goes completely missing too often. Far too inconsistent.
“Captain wise, he seems to be well liked by all the players in the dressing room and he looks to be a decent guy. But the other thing you’ve got to take into account is that the sale of him will be complete profit.
“We got him for free and, with Stoke possibly having a bit of money to spend, if they get more money in from him, and they put in a bigger offer for a midfielder, then there’s a chance.
“I also think that there’s a chance on the fact that Ben Pearson is out for four months, and we don’t know the future of Wouter Berger fully, even though we think that he’s going to stay.
“I’m not surprised (by the interest in Laurent). There’s a good chance that he could go, and they’d probably take a couple million for him because it’d be all profit.”
Stoke City may be smart to cash in on Josh Laurent this summer
It’s a dilemma that many teams face – what to do when one of your better players is out of contract in less than a year, and there are interested teams who may be willing to pay.
No price was mentioned in the Turkish reports, but Gaziantep would have to pay some fee to acquire Laurent.
In what was a poor season for the Potters, overall, with a relegation scare and a general underwhelming feeling hanging over the bet365 stadium, the 29-year-old was one of the brighter points.
| Josh Laurent’s 23/24 Championship stats | |
|---|---|
| Apps | 39 |
| Goals | 1 |
| xG | 4.58 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Big chances created | 3 |
| Duels won per game | 4.2 |
| Stats taken from Sofascore | |
Stoke have the added pressure that the interest is coming from abroad. If it was another English club wanting the midfielder, then they would have two transfer windows to assess their options.
But their decision on Laurent has to come now, in this window, otherwise they absolutely risk losing him for free.
They may opt for that option anyway, but it is imperative that they make a decision either way on his future with the club so that they can take appropriate action, if necessary, before the deadline.
