Stoke City have made good strides in the transfer market so far – but one key position needs strengthenin

Stoke City are in the market for a striker this summer, a player they hope will pass the magic 20 goals-a-season mark for the first time since Peter Thorne achieved the feat nearly a quarter of a century ago.

The Potters have faced plenty of problems since relegation from the Premier League in 2018, but a common thread during that time has been a lack of goals, and it is something current boss Steven Schumacher is keen to finally put to bed. Of course, strikers do not come cheap, and with the brakes applied hard to spending in recent years, finding that player has been made extra hard.

Stoke are one of a host of clubs said to have shown interest in Leicester City striker Tom Cannon, who through injury and then managerial preference largely remained a bystander as the Foxes won promotion to the top-flight last season.

Nonetheless, the £6m recruit from Everton a year ago has a decent pedigree, and it seems new Foxes boss Steve Cooper wants to see what the 21-year-old Irishman can do before deciding if a loan is the best option in his development,