Three Replacements For Jonathan Walters Who Stoke City Can Target
Stoke City football club, who finished 13th in the Premier League last season will be vary of the increased competition this season and will do everything in their hands to avoid a bad finish again. The Potters saw a season full of ups and downs, having taken points off the likes Manchester City and Manchester United while not making most from the mid-table clubs. The club’s manager, Mark Hughes will be hoping for a lot improvement from his side and will need to add a lot more firepower to his attack. The 33-year-old Jonathan Walters, who is the club’s senior most player, hasn’t did not have the desired impact for the Potters in front of goal last season as he only managed to rack up in 4 goals in 24 appearances.
The Republic of Ireland international is known for his work ethic and adhering style of play. His tireless running and ability to create space by dragging opposition defenders is next to few. But his best years are behind him now and the Potters must look towards younger talents with the same kind of tenacity in front of goal. Let’s take a look at 3 players who could be the perfect replacement for Jonathan Walters.
Ahmed Musa
The Leicester City striker is looking for a way out of King Power Stadium and could be within the reach of Potters this summer. The 24-year-old Nigerian international was brought in from CSKA Moscow as a backup for Jamie Vardy but failed to make a mark in his limited appearances for the Foxes. He could be an excellent addition to Stoke City as he provides plenty of pace up front and could gel well with both Marko Arnautovic and Xherdan Shaqiri.
Danny Ings
Despite being plagued by injuries, Danny Ings is still regarded as one of the best young strikers in the Premier League. Having joined the Reds in 2015, Ings showed a lot of promise in his first 6 games for the club but fell to an ACL injury during a training session under Klopp but he managed to recover from the injury right before the end of the season.
But as his luck would be, Ings suffered another ACL injury this time on his right knee which brought an end to another season. But the 24-year-old England international has fully recovered from his nightmare setback and is ready for first team football. There is a chance of Klopp sending him out on loan for development as he plans to rotate between Origi, Sturridge and Firmino for the striker position.
Rudy Gestede
The 28-year-old Benin international has enough experience to fit right into the Stoke side. The 6ft 4-inch striker is physically imposing and has a keen eye for the goal. He did manage to grab a few eyeballs during his brief stint in the Premier League with Aston Villa and would relish another shot at playing in the English top flight.