Stoke have reportedly tied by a deal for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting but should West Brom have rivalled them with Nacer Chadli linked with Swansea?
Stoke City have agreed a three-year deal with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting following his release by Schalke 04 this summer, reports Sky Sports.
The Potteries are set to sign the 28-year-old to help fill the void left by Marko Arnautovic and Jon Walters, who have joined West Ham United and Burnley respectively.
Marko Arnautovic of Stoke City.
Choupo-Moting scored 22 goals and provided 18 assists in 106 appearances for Schalke during three years at the Bundesliga club and has also scored 13 times in 43 caps for Cameroon.
Which begs the question – why didn’t West Bromwich Albion compete with Stoke for the winger?
The Baggies’ transfer business has been slow this window, with the signing of Jay Rodriguez from Southampton and the loan of Ahmed Hegazy from Al Ahly the only new first team additions.
While manager Tony Pulis does have options out wide in his squad, the Express has once again linked Nacer Chadli with a move away from the Hawthorns, with Swansea City lining up the 28-year-old as a replacement for Everton-bound Gylfi Sigurdsson.
That leaves Pulis with Jonathan Leko, James McClean, Callum McManaman and Matt Phillips as options on the wing, but the future of McManaman is undecided after spending the latter half of last term on loan at Sheffield Wednesday, while Phillips is currently injured.
Leko is also still just 18-years-old and a promising, but raw, talent and the addition of someone with the experience of Choupo-Moting could have been just the boost West Brom needed in attack.
Schalke’s Cameroonian midfielder Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting reacts during the Bundesliga match against Borussia Dortmund.
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