Stoke City transfer "concern" raised around Viktor Johansson and three more of Mark Robins' players | OneFootball

FLW's Potters fan pundit is worried that the club may have to sell some of their key men in the months to come

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

FLW's Stoke City fan pundit has expressed his concerns at whether the Potters will be able to keep hold of their star players this summer, following another campaign of struggle towards the bottom of the Championship table.

Stoke's turbulent season shows no signs of slowing down in the midst of a vital second-tier run-in. The Potters have had three different permanent managers this term, with Mark Robins the man tasked with keeping them afloat in the Championship over the next seven games.

The Potters' summer planning will be on hold right now, with survival being the immediate objective, but their chiefs and sporting director, Jon Walters, will no doubt already have an idea of what they want to get out of the upcoming transfer window.

Numerous incomings will certainly be on the agenda, but Stoke's main aim for the summer will be retaining their key men like Viktor Johansson, Wouter Burger, Million Manhoef and Bae Junho.

Potters fan pundit issues 'concern' at potential sales of Mark Robins' key players

Stoke have struggled as a team this season, but they still boast numerous key individuals in their squad who will no doubt be on the radar of higher-placed clubs by the time the summer transfer window rolls around.

FLW's Potters fan pundit, Sam Harrison, is worried that they will struggle to keep hold of their best players, such as the aforementioned quartet, in the months to come, particularly given their issues with financial fair play and the potential need to sell players to be able to invest in new signings.

“I think my main concern relates to outgoings, and the reason it does is because Stoke, financially, will have to work it out," Sam told FLW.

“We had the restraints in January, and obviously outgoings will impact incomings, and how we approach (the transfer market).

“There are four players that you would be saying ‘if we can keep all four it would be absolutely magnificent,’ but you feel that one, two, or even three of them could go, unfortunately.

“The reason being is that four of Stoke’s top players are ones that we have got permanently. That’s Wouter Burger, Viktor Johansson, Bae Junho and Million Manhoef.

“I think the concern is how many of them we are going to be able to keep hold of, and how many of them we will be able to get a profit on, or whatever.

“I think that is the big thing. If we can keep Johansson, it would be absolutely huge. Finding a keeper that is so consistent and is one of the top ones in the Championship, and having him here for another season, which is hopefully in the Championship, obviously would be absolutely massive.

“You’ve got your creative players in Junho and Manhoef. Manhoef has that creative spark, that something to get you over the line and a bit of pizzazz to get you off your seat.

“Junho is such a good ball-carrier. He’s another one where it has been a tough season for Stoke, and he and Burger in their first seasons last season were the two top players.

“It was as simple as that, they were the two key players. This season it has been a bit of a struggle, obviously under Pelach as well. It’s been a topsy-turvy season, so there haven’t really been many consistent performers apart from Ashley Phillips and Johansson.

“With Junho, I just think he is still young and still learning. The Championship, at the end of the day, is relentless, but he is finding that form again and showing what he is made of.

“He’s so confident when he is in his flow, and I think it is one where he is another creative player that you would love to have in your squad. If we can keep hold of him, he would be a real good asset to our side.

“With Burger, there was the potential that he was going to leave in January. I’m not too sure what happened with that, but obviously it fell through, which was really positive for Stoke.

“Hopefully he doesn’t look to go again, but he may well do. He could go, which would be a real shame, but I think there is so much more to his game.

“Viktor Johansson recently revealed how (Burger) has an impact on the leadership side of things, and I think with a player like him, a midfield presence, a lot of clubs will like him. If we can keep him, absolutely marvellous.

“Those four are our prized assets, and I think the main concern for Stoke is, how can we keep them?

“If we can’t, then can we get good money for them? Enough money for them to get the profit and be able to look at that in the window to then approach incomings for the upcoming season.”

Stoke's key men have been linked away previously - at least one summer sale is likely

Any club that is not pushing for promotion in the Championship runs the risk of having their best players poached in transfer windows. Stoke are no different, and supporters could not begrudge the likes of Johansson or Burger a move away this summer, given their talents and potential to play at a higher level.

Johansson has been one of the second-tier's standout goalkeepers this season. It came as no surprise to see AFC Bournemouth and Serie A side Como both linked with a summer move for his services last month, and that will undoubtedly not be the last time he is mooted with a Potters exit over the coming months.

Burger, meanwhile, was one of their best performers in his debut season in ST4, and he has returned to similar form under Robins after a poor first half of this campaign.

He was mightily close to leaving Stoke in January to join Danish champions FC Midtjylland, but a move broke down late on in the window, and he has since admitted that he was "disappointed" not to make the switch back overseas.

It is fair to say that the Potters will have a real task on their hands in keeping hold of either Johansson or Burger this summer. A sale for either player would make their financial situation a lot healthier, however, and make it much less likely that they also have to sell one of Million Manhoef or Bae Junho.

Neither attacker has been at their best this season, but each have the potential to play at a level above the Championship soon at 23 and 21-years-old respectively. Their inconsistent nature likely makes each of them a less attractive prospect than their aforementioned teammates.

Stoke will not want to sell any of their key men this summer, but their poor league performance and desire to improve their finances could mean that they have to let at least one of the four players mentioned leave if there is real interest in their signature.