According to reports in France, as cited by the Stoke Sentinel, Stoke City midfielder Peter Etebo is the subject of interest from Turkish giants Besiktas and Spanish club Eibar ahead of the January transfer window.
The report adds that the 24-year-old is keen to secure an exit from the bet 365 Stadium during the mid-season trading period after becoming increasingly frustrated with manager Martin O’Neill’s harsh treatment since his recovery from a knee injury suffered back in October.
Etebo made eleven appearances for the Potters earlier in the ongoing campaign but he is yet to kick a ball since the appointment of O’Neill and has been an unused substitute on only once occasion, with the Northern Irishman recently demoting him to train with the U-23s due to fitness issues.
That hasn’t gone down well with the Nigerian international, who has become exasperated by his dramatic fall in grace at the bet 365 Stadium since the arrival of O’Neill, thus fuelling speculations over his future at the club heading into the January window.
The 24-year-old, who arrived at Stoke City from Portuguese club Feirense in 2018 after starring for Nigeria at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, quickly won the support of the fans with his high level of commitment and energetic displays in the middle of the park.
Etebo clocked up as many as 34 appearances in the Championship over the course of an impressive debut season at Stoke City last term and was one of the few players to come away with some genuine credit as the Potters finished 16th.
Despite the club enduring a disastrous start to the ongoing campaign, the Nigerian continued to flourish under former manager Nathan Jones before an injury back in October stalled his progress.
Etebo has slipped drastically down the pecking order ever since, with O’Neill preferring the likes of Jordan Cousins. Joe Allen, Ryan Woods and Sam Clucas in the middle of the park.
As per the report, the new manager is keen to cash in on a few players in January to make room for new arrivals and cut down the club’s wage bills. Etebo, who is among the club’s most saleable assets, looks set to get the chop during the mid-season trading period, but his departure would surely be met by mixed reactions from the club faithful.
To put things into perspective, Stoke City’s cost-cutting venture in a bid to avoid falling foul of Financial Fair Play regulations certainly makes sense but offloading an influential player like Peter Etebo could spell disaster, particularly with the Potters currently struggling to beat the drop in the Championship.
Indeed, it is high time for the Potters to balance the books, and notwithstanding the fact that O’Neill needs to move a few players on in order to reshape his squad, Stoke City would only aggravate their current situation by selling decent players and leaving the dross behind.
A perfect box-to-box enforcer with well-rounded attributes at both ends of the pitch, the 24-year-old has been one of the club’s best performers over the past eighteen months and he has certainly offered more than the likes of Cousins and Allen whenever he has been on the pitch.
Plus, O’Neill’s decision to demote Etebo to the U-23 ranks sounds completely farcical, given that the Nigerian is one of the fittest players in the squad and his natural stamina puts him head and shoulders above most of his teammates.
Furthermore, Etebo still has his best years ahead of him at the age of 24 and selling him at this stage of his career could come back to haunt the Potters, who might be better off looking at some of their other assets if they are genuinely interested in raising funds.
Joe Allen, Mame Biram Diouf and Badou N’Diaye, all round-about that 30-year mark, have the right kind of CV to fetch Stoke City some valuable funds in the transfer window.
Given his obvious quality on the ball and hardworking nature as a footballer, Etebo still looks like a player in the right age bracket at 24 who could well go on to have a big future at the club.
The Nigerian has proven himself to be a tailor-made fit for the rough-and-tough style of play prevalent in the Championship and his presence could well prove to be the difference between survival and relegation for the Potters.
All in all, Stoke City resisting the temptation to cash in on Peter Etebo in January should be an absolute no-brainer.