It takes all sorts to get transfers over the line. Money definitely helps. But Stoke City love bombed Jesurun Rak-Sakyi to make sure they got to the front of a long, shoving queue of suitors for a player they think can help them attack the Championship play-off places.
Stoke’s January transfer window was always going to focus on the front line. Every manager and every recruitment chief will think that firepower can be the real differential in a division as tight as this one.
There were injuries to consider too of course. Viktor Johansson’s bad shoulder did force their hands with a goalkeeper and Divin Mubama and Robert Bozenik both being ruled out sped up the hunt for a centre-forward.
But – weighing up space in the squad, budget and availability – it was a safe bet that the priority would be quality in the final third rather than cover at right-back.
So Rak-Sakyi, a 23-year-old with game changing potential who was part of Sheffield United’s promotion push last season – and was looking for a new club after returning from a loan at Rizespor in Turkey at Christmas.
Stoke are believed to have been in contact with Crystal Palace every single day since late December.
There was a lot of competition and at least one club was promising the kind of substantial offer that would blow everyone else out of the water – if only they could ever get near being able to afford it. It seems they were banking on a big money sale, which never materialised.
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Eventually Stoke got permission to make their case to Rak-Sakyi himself and he was set on a move to a team that makes wingers the key men. His mate Bosun Lawal helped on the sell too.
“Agent Bos,” said Rak-Sakyi today. “I met him through a friend of a friend in football and we’ve been friends ever since. He’s a good player.”
There had to be Plan Bs and a permanent move was discussed for a player on loan at a play-off rival but Rak Sakyi was top of the list.
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi is unveiled as a Stoke City player.
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Jesurun Rak-Sakyi is unveiled as a Stoke City player.(Image: Phil Greig)
Ato Ampah, another winger who arrived on deadline day, was a different kind of deal – although coincidentally he knows Rak-Sakyi, having played at Chelsea with his brother, Samuel Rak-Sakyi.
Stoke have a good relationship with people behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge and a scout was spotted watching quick and strong Ampah back in October when the England under-20s international scored twice in a Uefa Youth League win over Ajax.
It seemed he was going to be available for a loan or move in January and Stoke knew that sometimes there isn’t a second chance. They had been hopeful of getting Tyrique George, for example, until his first team appearances in Europe last season propelled him into the orbit of Premier League clubs. He actually made a deadline day switch to Everton.
Ampah, aged 19, has already made a Conference League cameo and he was probably going to be in that next round of players who would get a platform. Still, it seems Chelsea were keen to do right for a player whose dad actually works for the club. They would sanction an exit to the right place and a path to first team action.
Any move seemed off when a toe injury in January left Ampah in an air boot. The winter window isn’t normally a time for long-term signings. But thinking more long-term actually suited Stoke, who had filled their 25-man senior squad but could add a permanent signing if he was aged under 21. Ampah will complete his recovery at Clayton Wood and then go straight into Mark Robins’ options in what will be a frenetic Championship run-in.
A hunt for a goalkeeper probably hadn’t been on the agenda in this window, although planning had started about replacing Jack Bonham, who was out of contract in the summer, and how that would affect that department. In the end, Bonham left for Bolton when he was overlooked after Johansson was ruled out.
Tommy Simkin was brought back from Leyton Orient and Stoke had to review which keepers were available to sign straight away. That immediately whittled down the list significantly. There was no chance Everton were letting Mark Travers go, for instance, and doubts whether Brentford would let out Hakon Valdimarsson.
Southampton were bringing in a new keeper of their own, however, and Bazunu was keen for a fresh start. Sod’s law that he came in, kept a clean sheet and then injured his thigh. Simkin has an extended chance to stake his claim.
Gavin Bazunu kept a clean sheet on his Stoke City debut against QPR.
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Gavin Bazunu kept a clean sheet on his Stoke City debut against QPR.(Image: Zak Locke)
At the other end of the pitch, Stoke had been curating a list of centre-forward targets probably for the summer window.
It meant they had names ready when Mubama was stretchered off on January 17. They might have even had to have two names ready depending on how Mubama’s ankle would be assessed back at Manchester City over the following few days. He was back watching Stoke last weekend, however, and has stayed on loan hoping to be back to play his part soon.
Contact was made with Go Ahead Eagles about Milan Smit on January 18 and a bid was made the next day. It was all wrapped up within five days so that he could serve a one-match suspension for accumulated bookings and be ready to make his debut last week.
Robins spoke about how he is interested in seeing the journeys of other players who they discussed as targets.
The striker options seem to have the same kind of profile – and a couple of those mobile giants have also been attracting transfer interest in the last couple of weeks. One is making a £9m move, which might explain why he wasn’t coming to Stoke right now.
Incomings meant Stoke had licence to sanction loan moves for three prospects: Freddie Anderson, to Barrow; Favour Fawunmi to Leyton Orient; and Nathan Lowe to Wycombe.
Lowe is looking forward to getting back playing after a leg injury and showing to everyone, including his bosses back Stoke, that he can score regularly at League One level when he’s used as a striker. That wasn’t necessarily the case in the first half of term at Stockport.
He said: “I’m not fully fit at the moment but hopefully I’m ready to run around the pitch in no time. It’s the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s weeks away, not months. I’m going to be training soon. It’s on the periphery. It’s dull being injured, I want to earn my money!
“I’m really looking forward to it because I believe I’ve got a point to prove. I believe that I’ve got more to prove and want to prove it in this division, showing over the next few months what I can do as a centre-forward rather than maybe a wide 10 or my less natural position.”
Lee Dixon, pictured with Stoke City manager Mick Mills, made the move to Arsenal in 1988.
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Lee Dixon was brought to Stoke City from Bury by Mick Mills.(Image: Sentinel)
Jaden Dixon is leaving Stoke City.
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Jaden Dixon is leaving Stoke City.(Image: Alex Dodd/Shutterstock)
There was still one deal to be confirmed the day after deadline as Jaden Dixon makes the surprise leap from Stoke substitutes bench to Arsenal.
This isn’t a transfer made for profit and sustainability reasons, as had been partly the case when Sol Sidibe joined PSV Eindhoven in the summer. Stoke aren’t believed to currently be that close to the red line, even if they’re backed to spend every penny available by John Coates.
They had looked to secure a loan for Dixon in the last three windows as the next stage of his development but Arsenal had room in their under-21s budget and made their move over the last weekend of the window.
At this point there might be more echoes of Ritchie de Laet, who left Stoke reserves to join Manchester United, rather than Lee Dixon or Steve Bould – but it will be interesting to see how this Dixon gets on with a whole career ahead of him. He’s still only 18, has played for England under-19s and has spoken warmly of how much he has developed during two-and-a-half years in the Potteries.
Back at Stoke, there is room for excitement.
A defeat last weekend might have taken the wind out of sails but their fate is still in their own hands, five points off the top six with 16 games to play in a division that can change shape very quickly.
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