Speculation surrounding Mohamed Elyounoussi has intensified in the past couple of days, and according to reports from the player’s homeland of Norway, Championship club Stoke City are interested.
Sarpsborg Arbeiderblad claims that the Potters have emerged as competitors for Besiktas in the race to sign him from Southampton on an initial loan deal.
The report suggests that Stoke have proposed a temporary transfer with an option to buy, as Elyounoussi’s future at St Mary’s Stadium continues to look increasingly unlikely.
Read Southampton’s verdict
A move to Stoke really would be quite strange for Elyounoussi. He has struggled to adapt to both the tempo and the physicality of Premier League football, so little suggests that he would fit in with the frantic nature of the Championship.
Sofiane Boufal has looked good in pre-season, while Moussa Djenepo is also set for an involved role after joining this summer. With Josh Sims and Nathan Redmond also available, it is tough to see where Elyounoussi fits into Ralph Hasenhuttl’s plans.
He did not score a single goal, nor assist one for his teammates, last season, and a departure from St Mary’s Stadium would appear to be the best move for both the player and the club.
However, joining Stoke would present a bizarre switch; Nathan Jones tends to deploy a diamond in midfield, and Elyounoussi hardly fits the mould of players who the Potters have pursued this summer.
Southampton should definitely jump at the chance to allow the £16 million signing the opportunity to test himself elsewhere. On paper, though, a move to Besiktas seems more plausible than one to the bet365 Stadium.
