Stoke City supporters have been pretty downbeat in recent times after seeing their side suffer defeat in the Championship just prior to the current two-week break for internationals.

Gary Rowett’s side made a sluggish start to the 2018/19 campaign in failing to win any of their opening four league games, although did finally get that elusive victory in beating Hull City 2-0 at the bet365 Stadium on August 25. Yet they were unable to record back-to-back successes as a brace from Dwight Gayle set West Brom on their way to all three points against the Potters last time out, with an Erik Pieters effort late on not enough to prevent Stoke’s third defeat of the Championship season.

As such, there have been many despondent Potters fans up and down the country in recent times, several of whom have been using the fortnight break for internationals to look back at their team’s summer business, which saw quite an overhaul of the playing squad at the bet365 Stadium.

And one man who left the club was 21-year-old Ramadan Sobhi, and in making a £1.35 million profit on the young attacker, Rowett’s men seemingly pulled off a transfer masterstroke during the close season.

Egypt international Sobhi made the move to the Staffordshire-based outfit back in 2016 after beginning his senior career in his homeland with Al Ahly, with manager at the time Mark Hughes likely looking at the 21-year-old as someone who can add even greater attacking talent to his forward ranks.

Yet things simply didn’t work out as intended for Sobhi during his time at Stoke, with the attacker mustering just 46 appearances for the Potters, 20 starts of which coming in the Premier League, during his two-year spell at the club, in which time he managed just three goals and laid on three assists.

And having made the move to the bet365 Stadium for £4.5 million (as per Transfermarkt) back in the summer of 2016, former boss Hughes would have been hoping for a lot more from the 21-year-old during his time at the club - there were a couple of impressive displays, but they were few and far between.

Thus, his future at the club was always likely to be in doubt during the close season following Stoke’s relegation from the Premier League, so for the Potters to get £5.85 million (as per Transfermarkt) for the attacker from top-flight side Huddersfield Town represents something of a masterstroke, what with Sobhi not overly proving his capabilities in the top-flight.

As such, in making a £1.35 million profit on a player who scored just three times in two years at the Staffordshire-based outfit, it’s fair to say that Rowett and the Stoke hierarchy pulled off something of a masterstroke during the summer.

Stoke fans… what do you think? Let us know!