Stoke City are on the verge of signing 24-year-old left-back Eric Bocat from Sint-Truiden, who was also a target for Leicester City back in April.
Stoke City finished last season in 17th place but showed promise with some impressive wins towards the end of the season.
This optimism has been matched by significant signings, including Rotherham United’s star goalkeeper Viktor Johansson and Ben Gibson from Norwich City.
With the transfer window now open, Stoke City are actively pursuing new talent, and Bocat appears to be the next addition to Steven Schumacher’s squad.
Stoke fans are hopeful this marks the start of a new era, aiming for a much higher finish in the English second tier.
TeamTalk has reported that Bocat is close to finalizing a deal with Stoke City this summer.
The 24-year-old has played 38 times for Sint-Truiden this season and was previously of interest to Leicester City and Trabzonspor.
Bocat initially joined the Belgian First Division A for the 2020/21 season with Royal Excel Mouscron from French Ligue 1 side Lille.
He moved to Sint-Truiden in the summer of 2022, making 25 league appearances during the 2022/23 season, integrating into the first team.
Stoke fans have reason to be optimistic about Bocat’s arrival, with his agent posting a clip of him flying from Brussels to Manchester on Tuesday. This, along with recent reports, suggests that the signing is imminent, with only formalities remaining.
With just a year left on his contract, the deal is unlikely to be too costly for Stoke. The club’s ability to offer guaranteed first-team football may have been a key factor in deterring interest from Leicester and Trabzonspor.
Bocat, who has gained considerable experience in Belgium, still has room for development at age 24. Learning from Enda Stevens, who impressed for Stoke last season when fit, could be beneficial.
Stevens recently signed a new 12-month deal at the Bet365 Stadium, and his full-back duties might be shared with Bocat if the signing goes through. Stevens’ experience, with over 150 Championship games, could be invaluable for Bocat.
As Bocat primarily played as a left wing-back last season, adapting to additional defensive responsibilities might be challenging, but Stevens could assist in this area.
Bocat would be a suitable long-term option for Stoke, and a year under Stevens’ guidance could be beneficial.
For Stoke fans, this is a deal worth monitoring in the coming days.
