Stoke City have struck a deal with Huddersfield Town to lure Tom Ince for an initial £10million transfer fee, which could rise to £12million. Gary Rowett has been desperately trying to beef his arsenal to mount a promotion bid to get back to Premier League and Ince would be a handy asset in their endeavours.
Ince emerged through the youth ranks of Liverpool but couldn’t cement a place for himself in the senior side of the Reds. After a loan spell with Notts County, he moved to Blackpool and then switched to Hull City. While he was in the books of the Tigers, he was shipped out on loan to Nottingham Forest and Derby, and then moved permanently to the ranks of the latter.
Last summer, he was prised out of the Pride Park Stadium by David Wagner as he signed for Huddersfield Town. He featured regularly for the Terriers last season in the top flight, making 33 appearances for the club and scoring 2 goals. However, there was an apparent lack of offensive edge in his game last term and that might have been the main reason for his exit from Huddersfield Town.
However, the experience he has of English football under his belt and the calibre he possesses make him a valuable player and Stoke City have struck gold by roping him into their ranks. He is capable of plying his trade anywhere in the middle of the park. Technically, he is very sound and showcases immense work-ethic on the pitch more often than not.
He has a lovely left foot and he is not shy to shoot from distance and is known to keep a cool head in front of goal. Ince’s clinical abilities depleted during his time at Huddersfield Town and he needs to brush this aspect of himself this season. He is good at taking set-pieces and is a calm and composed figure, and with his vision, he tries to dictate the tempo of the game.
Rowett now has someone who knows the Championship like the back of his hand and he could prove to be an instrumental figure for the Potters this season.
Stoke have looked positive this transfer window and they have taken the initiative to try and build a team which can take on the challenges of the Championship head on.
This is another exciting deal and the player will be raring to prove his doubters wrong and push Stoke towards the top of the table.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored