Stoke City make contact over deal for Luton Town midfielder
Stoke City have been in contact with Luton Town over a possible deal for Lamine Fanne, according to Fotboll Direkt.
Stoke City are heading for another important transfer window after another disappointing Championship campaign. SCFC only secured survival on the final day of the season, coming up way short of expectations again.
Mark Robins is the latest man tasked with leading the Potters up the second tier table, but many have tried and failed before despite investment.
Time will tell just what the summer brings the Staffordshire outfit, but they are expected to be busy and a number of players have already been linked with moves to the Bet365 Stadium.
Now, a report from Swedish news outlet Fotboll Direkt states Stoke City are among the clubs eyeing Luton Town midfielder Lamine Fanne. The youngster only joined from Sweden’s AIK last summer but following relegation, the talented 21-year-old could be offered a route out of Kenilworth Road.
It is said that Belgian side Club Brugge are interested alongside SCFC, while separate reports credited La Liga clubs with interest.
Fanne was born in Senegal but has Spanish citizenship. It is not said which teams from Spain are keen at this moment in time.
An opportunistic deal?
Fanne had emerged as a bright prospect in Sweden before being snapped up by Luton Town. He made his breakthrough with Allsvenskan side AIK and impressed the eye before his switch to Kenilworth Road.
The prospect spent the rest of 2024 on loan with AIK before linking up with the Hatters this winter, and the rumoured Stoke City target would go on to play 12 Championship games for Luton.
His efforts weren’t enough to keep Luton up, but his promising displays indicated why they paid a decent fee for his services. As such, it perhaps isn’t a great surprise to see that he is wanted elsewhere, with a move away certainly feasible after relegation to League One.
Stoke City midfield options
Change to the Stoke City midfield seems likely this summer. Not only is Andy Moran heading back to parent club Brighton, but it has also been confirmed that Jordan Thompson will join Preston North End at the end of his contract.
Wouter Burger may well draw interest, leaving Ben Pearson, Lewis Baker and Tatsuki Seko as other options. It means there may well be more gaps to plug.
Fanne could be a good option for SCFC in their efforts to do so, but the Potters are sure too have other options on the radar. That could prove smart, given the other interest in the Luton Town prospect.
