Noah Allen of Inter Miami is allegedly in England for a two-week trial with Stoke City and Burnley.
Allen, 19, has just broken into the Inter Miami lineup with Lionel Messi, starting 14 MLS games and appearing as a substitute in another five. He’ll have previously worked with Stoke icon and current Stoke youth coach Ryan Shawcross, who retired from playing and began coaching in Miami.
If he wanted to join Stoke, he would need a wild card visa. Since last summer, the team has been permitted to sign up to four foreign players who would not have qualified for a permit under prior criteria. Alex Neil’s first choice left-back is currently Enda Stevens, although Jordan Thompson, Lynden Gooch, Junior Tchamadeu, and Ki-Jana Hoever have filled in for him in recent months.
“Allen, 19, played 19 games for Miami in ’23, starting 14, with 1 goal and 2 assists,” former Orlando Sentinel reporter Paul Tenorio wrote for The Athletic. Jordi Alba is Miami’s starting left back. Allen would require a ‘wildcard’ work authorization.”
Allen, who also has a Greek passport, has represented the United States at the youth level and recently helped Inter Miami win the inter-country Leagues Cup. He made headlines during the final when, after being fouled by Jose Andres Martinez, Messi squared up to Martinez and “gave him the death stare and exchanged some choice words.”
Stoke’s own promising left-back Josh Bickerton is regaining health after suffering a knee injury in pre-season.
