According to Simon Stone of BBC Sport, Stoke City are set to sign Phil Jagielka following the veteran defender’s Derby departure amid their transfer embargo. Jagielka has been an important player for Derby County this season but will be leaving as a free agent.
Transfer Embargo Forces Phil Jagielka to Leave Derby
Stoke City the Front Runners
39-year old Phil Jagielka is set to sign for Stoke City as a free agent from Derby County. Derby manager Wayne Rooney was preparing an 18-month extension at Derby ahead of the expiry of his contract next week. Despite the obvious interest from Derby, the deal fell flat. This is because the Rams are under a transfer embargo instated by the EFL, meaning Jagielka cannot re-sign.
A Derby statement said: “Derby County would like to place on record its sincere thanks to Phil for his commitment and efforts both on and off the pitch whilst with the club and wish him every success in his future endeavours.”
Reports are stating that Wayne Rooney is furious that he won’t be able to sign Jagielka. With Derby County in severe financial limbo, Rooney’s team is a mismatch of age and talent. For example, the main centre-back pairing of Phil Jagielka and Curtis Davies had a combined age of 75. Yet utilising their experience, Derby were able to pick up some solid points. Jagielka made 21 appearances in all competitions for the Rams, featuring in the starting line-up each time.
Stoke Chasing the Deal
Stoke City will benefit from the embargo as they look to bolster their squad. The Potters are being proactive in the January market, despite manager Michael O’Neill being in self-isolation. Centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis is already in the team since completing a loan deal from Manchester City. The young centre-back is accustomed to life in the Championship with experience at Blackburn Rovers.
In a statement on the club’s website, Harwood-Bellis said “It’s not as though it’s a new experience for me now – I’ve done it before and I’m not just really excited about getting going.”
And, alongside the Jagielka deal, Stoke City are hoping to sign Lewis Baker from Chelsea, according to Stoke on Trent Live. Baker, 26, has plenty of Championship experience with four previous loan stints in the league. Although, Baker is an exciting player. The box-to-box midfielder will not provide a sitting midfielder and Stoke are searching for one. We can expect more signings to come for the Potters.
This transfer window is Stoke City’s chance to push into the top six of the Championship.
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