Stoke City on verge of signing player wanted by Leicester City in April

Eric Bocat is believed to be on the verge of signing for Steven Schumacher’s side.

Stoke City are on the verge of signing 24-year-old left-back Eric Bocat from Sint-Truiden, who was also reported back in April to be a target of Leicester City.

Stoke City ended last season in 17th place but picked up some impressive wins over the final few games of the season.

This late optimism has been met by some impressive signings, with Rotherham United’s star goalkeeper, Viktor Johansson joining, as well as Ben Gibson from Norwich City.

With the transfer window now officially open, the Staffordshire-based club are getting down to business and Bocat seems to be the next in line to join Steven Schumacher’s side.

For Stoke fans, they will hope this is the beginning of a new dawn as they target a much higher finish in the second-tier of English football.

Eric Bocat transfer latest

Bocat first joined the Belgian First Division A ahead of the 2020/21 season, when he signed for Royal Excel Mouscron from French Ligue 1 outfit Lille.

He went on to join Sint-Truiden in the summer of 2022, and made 25 league appearances during the 2022/23 First Division A campaign, bleeding himself into the first-team.

Stoke fans may be able to get their hopes up about Bocat joining, with his agent posting a clip of him flying from Brussels to Manchester (the closest airport to Stoke) on Tuesday. This, matched with the latest reports, can only bring real hope that he is very close to joining, and it seems like only the formalities are left to ensure Stoke make their third signing of the summer.

With just a year left on his contract, it seems unlikely that a deal will be too costly for the Potters hierarchy. Additionally, Stoke’s ability to offer guaranteed first-team football could have been a key factor in swaying off interest from Leicester and Trabzonspor.

Bocat can learn from Enda Stevens

Whilst Bocat has earned a great deal of experience in Belgium, he still has a lot to develop, aged just 24. For the Frenchman then, who better to learn from than Enda Stevens, who when fit was impressive for the Potters last season.

Having recently signed a new 12-month deal at the Bet365 stadium, Stevens may see his full-back duties shared with Bocat if he signs. This should be no issue for either player, with the former Mouscron man surely keen to learn from the Irish international, who has featured in over 150 Championship games.

Furthermore, as Bocat played essentially every game last season at left wing-back, it may prove difficult for him to adapt to the extra defensive duties, so Stevens could aid the youngster in this department.

Whatever the case, the 24-year-old would prove a suitable long-term option and a year under the guidance of a well-versed character in Enda Stevens can’t hurt.

So, for Stoke fans, this is a deal certainly worth keeping an eye on over the coming days.