Out-of-contract Peterborough United winger Kwame Poku is emerging as the most wanted player in the Championship at the start of the summer transfer window, with predictions that he is one season away from the Premier League.
Poku was twice named League One player of the month this season but missed nearly 20 games due to a hamstring injury. He still scored 12 times and set up another 11 this term. Peterborough have confirmed he will leave - and they will receive compensation because he is under 24 and joined from Colchester United before the age of 21. A suitor could either agree or a fee or leave it to be decided by a tribunal.
The 23-year-old has been most prominently linked with Rangers, Celtic and Birmingham City but it sounds like it would be easier to name clubs with that kind of budget in the UK who are not interested.
Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony told theHard Truth podcast. "There are 30-odd clubs who want Kwame - one in particular, who are really going all out. I think if he went there, it is probably the best move of his life, and he could be going to the Premier League in a year's time.
"We'll start talking to those clubs because they won't want to go to a tribunal as much as we do. It's unpredictable and it will go in our favour in a big way.
"The problem with tribunals is that they have to pay all the money up front. You get told [what to pay]. We also have other things that are happening as well. We will try and still do business, we want to sell and bring money in but I'd sell my wedding ring to sign the right player."
Peterborough's veteran director of football Barry Fry is sure that Poku will stay in England.
He told the Peterborough Telegraph recently: “A Championship club tried to force a deal through for Kwame in January, but he was injured at the time and they didn’t offer anything like what we wanted.
"They were just trying to get ahead of the game as they knew there would be many more clubs after him in the summer. He is the best player in League One after all.
"Celtic and Rangers have been at most of our games this season, but I don’t believe Kwame will go to Scotland. He will more likely sign for a top end Championship club.”
Stoke City are likely to be in the market for a winger or two over the next few weeks. Mark Robins used Bae Junho and Million Manhoef when fit on the right and left flanks during his first half-season in charge.
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