Stoke City are reportedly set to sign Brighton and Hove Albion defender Leo Ostigard on a season-long loan deal, according to Football League World.

The lowdown

The 21-year-old caught the eye with some strong performances for Coventry City last season in a loan spell with Mark Robins' side as they finished 16th in the Championship table.

The centre-back is down the pecking order in Graham Potter's plans with Brighton and Hove Albion though, with the likes of Adam Webster and Lewis Dunk ahead of him at this moment in time. He has just one year remaining on his current contract with the Seagulls, but it doesn't seem as though he has much of a future with the Premier League outfit.

Coventry manager Mark Robins was full of praise for Ostigard for his contributions towards the club in his loan spell last term, saying: "When he came in yesterday, he was upset at leaving, he drove all the way from Brighton just to say goodbye which was a mark of him, and he’s been brilliant, just outstanding."

The latest

A host of Championship clubs were rumoured to be interested in a deal to sign Ostigard this summer, with TEAMtalk revealing that Stoke were rivalling Middlesbrough, Barnsley, Bournemouth, Fulham and Sheffield United for the Norwegian.

Football League World have exclusively revealed that Stoke are close to securing a deal to sign the Brighton defender. It's also claimed that a medical is underway over a move, as the Potters look to add depth to their defensive options this summer.

The verdict

This is a smart bit of business by the Sky Blues, as Ostigard has already shown that he can perform to a high standard in the Championship with Coventry last season.

The defender had an average WhoScored rating of 6.73 last term, which put him fifth in the list of Coventry City's best performers in the 2020/21 season. He particularly excelled in the air, winning five headers per game - of Stoke's regulars, only Harry Souttar could exceed that average.

The Potters have already added Ben Wilmot to their squad to replace Nathan Collins, but additional strength in depth and competition for places is the ideal dilemma to have for Michael O'Neill. Given the level of interest in Ostigard, it represents quite a coup for Stoke to fend off the competition for him.