Stoke complete busy transfer deadline day
Stoke boss Tony Pulis endured a busy transfer deadline day as he snapped up Marc Wilson, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Jermaine Pennant and re-signed Salif Diao. He also let Liam Lawrence and Dave Kitson head to Portsmouth as part of the Wilson deal.
All in all Pulis was the busiest manager in the Premier League on Tuesday as he attempts to build a squad capable of finishing in the top half of the table. Despite a sticky start, Stoke’s ambition cannot be underestimated, with the aforementioned deals lending themselves far more to the kind of attractive football Stoke themselves are rarely linked to. Indeed, Gudjohnsen is one of the cleverest footballers to have graced the Premier League in the last decade, with his spells at Bolton, Chelsea and last season’s loan deal at Tottenham. The Icelandic international will certainly be a different option to the largely physical and pacey strikers the club currently possess, with his cuteness and adeptness in and around the penalty box excellent assets to any side.
Jermaine Pennant will offer a similar option to Matthew Etherington on the opposite flank. Pennant’s delivery from wide areas is outstanding, although doubts about his fitness and temperament have seen his career rather flounder. Meanwhile, 23-year-old Wilson, who had taken over the Pompey captaincy for this season, arrives with a big reputation. West Ham and West Brom were also interested in his signature this summer, but the players-plus-cash deal offered by Pulis was always the most appealing to Pompey. Although, the deal almost faltered at the last minute with Lawrence apparently not keen on a switch to the south coast. All was sorted in the end though, and it all leaves Stoke with an extremely healthy and envious squad, that Pulis will now be expected to take forward to that next level.
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