Bet365 Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent, Britain - January 2, 2023. Preston North End's Ben Woodburn in action with Stoke City's Harry Souttar.
Leicester City transfer target Harry Souttar will not ‘be leaving’ Stoke City this month, according to the Championship club’s manager Alex Neil.
The Lowdown: Opening offer rejected
The Australia international’s contract at the bet365 Stadium isn’t set to expire until 2025, but following a standout World Cup, he has been attracting plenty of transfer interest, particularly from the King Power Stadium.
The Premier League club have been admirers of the 24-year-old for most of January, with reports suggesting that a £10m bid has been rejected. However, following an injury to Potters centre-back Connor Taylor during their 3-1 FA Cup victory over Stevenage on Sunday, a move for Souttar now looks to be off the cards.
The Latest: Souttar move ‘highly doubtful’
Speaking during his post-match interview following that cup clash, Neil has publicly confirmed that the chances of Souttar being sold before the Tuesday night deadline are now very unlikely.
As quoted by Stoke Sentinel, the Stoke City manager said: “It’ll be highly doubtful, at this stage, that Soutts will be leaving.”
Should Leicester move for Souttar again this summer?
Yes
No
The Verdict: Setback for Leicester
Souttar has been dubbed a ‘monster’ by journalist Josh Bunting, and it’ll be a huge setback for Brendan Rodgers to learn that he will miss out on his transfer target.
The 6 foot 5 colossus currently averages a remarkable seven clearances and four successful aerial duels per game in the Championship, highlighting the rock that he can be at the heart of defence (WhoScored). For comparison, the best returns for those metrics among Leicester’s current squad are 3.4 and 2.5 respectively.
The Foxes are in need of defensive reinforcements to steer them away from danger in the Premier League, but with Souttar set to remain at Stoke, an alternative late addition may well be targeted.
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