Stoke City fans may be seeing a familiar face rocking up at the bet365 Stadium this season, with a former player now linked with the club after being released.
Mark Robins will be looking to bounce back from a difficult campaign last time out, in which Stoke finished up 18th in the table and just two points above the relegation zone.
High-profile departures such as Wouter Burger and Sol Sidibe won’t help matters. There are also concerns over new signing Robert Bozenik, whose goalscoring record leaves a lot to be desired.
Still, the loan signing of Ashley Phillips has delighted Robins, and they could be set to add some real pedigree to the squad soon in the form of an ex-Potters icon.
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Steven Nzonzi links up with Stoke City again
After leaving Iranian outfit Sepahan this summer amid concerns over conflicts in the Middle East, Steven Nzonzi has been spotted rubbing shoulders with Stoke City chiefs.
As per the Stoke Sentinel, Nzonzi was seated next to former teammate and Stoke’s current sporting director, Jon Walters, to watch the Potters take on Crewe Alexandra in a pre-season friendly.
It is said Nzonzi, now 36, is keen to keep playing before embarking on the first steps of his coaching career. While it is not known at this stage whether either of those things are on offer from Stoke, the fact the midfielder is present at all is a tantalising hint for supporters.
Nzonzi is widely regarded as one of the best players to feature for Stoke in the modern era. While Lamine Camara is poised to join as Wouter Burger’s replacement, having someone like Nzonzi on board would be a win-win for Stoke.
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Steven Nzonzi left Stoke City for bigger and better things
After racking up 120 appearances for Stoke City in the top flight, Nzonzi secured a move to Sevilla for around £7m. There, he won the Europa League and proved his quality for the La Liga outfit.
Three years later, he more than tripled his value with a £23m move to AS Roma. Nzonzi even established himself in the French national team, and was part of the World Cup-winning squad in 2018 and the Nations League-winning group of 2021.
He could return to Stoke now via spells with Galatasaray, Rennes, and time in Qatar. It’s been a wild and very successful journey for Nzonzi, and a homecoming with Stoke feels very apt at this stage of his career.
