Could 'Stoke King' Bae Jun-ho (22, Stoke City) be heading to a big club?
The British 'Stoke Sentinel' reported on the 17th (Korea time) that "There is a high possibility that Stoke City will not be able to keep its players, including Bae Jun-ho," adding, "In particular, several big clubs have been showing interest in key players like Bae Jun-ho and Million Manhuf. The club is aware of the high probability of not being able to keep them."
Bae Jun-ho, a former member of the South Korea U-23 national team, joined Stoke City last year after leaving Daejeon Hana Citizen, making his mark on the European stage. As the season heads towards its conclusion, he has established himself as a key resource for the team beyond just adapting to the league.
Furthermore, last season, the Stoke local media 'Stoke-on-Trent Live' assessed Bae Jun-ho as having "the potential to grow into a game changer who can already play a very important role," while the U.S. media 'ESPN' praised him after watching a match of the South Korean national team last year, saying, "Bae Jun-ho not only shows excellent skills on the left like Son Heung-min, but also perfectly fulfills his role anywhere in the attacking line."
Bae Jun-ho has recorded 3 goals and 5 assists in 45 matches this season, alternating between the winger and attacking midfielder for Stoke. He has effectively solidified his position as a regular starter, participating in 79% of Stoke's league matches, earning a reputation as irreplaceable, as implied by his nickname 'Stoke King.'
Despite Bae Jun-ho's contributions, Stoke finished 18th in the Championship, failing to get promoted. While they avoided relegation, there are concerns about the significant departure of key players due to the failure to gain promotion. In fact, interest from all over Europe has been pouring in for key players like Bae Jun-ho, Manhuf, Wouter Burger, and Viktor Johansson.
'Stoke Sentinel' reported, "Johansson, the captain and goalkeeper, is likely to remain. However, key resources like Bae Jun-ho and Manhuf are unlikely to be retained," adding, "Due to financial fair play (FFP) regulations, Stoke will have to sell many players in this summer's transfer market."
The outlet added, "While it is true that Stoke must sell players, they will want a reasonable transfer fee. Previously, Stoke stated that there would be no selling players for a pittance. To acquire core resources like Bae Jun-ho, teams will need to pay a sufficient transfer fee to meet their demands."
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