The ex-England international is out of contract at the Britannia Stadium in the summer.
Stoke City supporters have a new hero, and it isn’t Paul Lambert.
Although the Scotsman led the Potters to a 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town in his first match in charge, it is January signing Moritz Bauer who has quickly won the hearts of those at the Britannia Stadium.
The 26-year-old, bought from Rubin Kazan in between the sacking of Mark Hughes and the appointment of Lambert, has immediately become a fan favourite with his all-action displays from right-back.
The Austrian’s energy and aggression was the sole shining light in the 3-0 defeat to Manchester United, and he then helped Stoke to their first clean sheet since October against the Terriers.
Bauer’s promising start to life at Stoke must signal the end for 33-year-old veteran Glen Johnson, who has not played for the Potters since October and is out of contract at the end of the season.
The former England international may have hoped that Hughes’ departure would open the door for him to reestablish himself in the first-team picture, but Bauer’s performances have put an end to those chances.
Stoke also have academy graduate Tom Edwards as Bauer’s back-up, so Johnson may have played his last game for the club. The Daily Mail reported in December that his contract could be termined this month.
Johnson has made 58 appearances for the Potters since joining from Liverpool in 2015.
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