Stoke City at Clayton Wood Training Ground 2021
Narcis Pelach braced for January window after Stoke City transfer meeting.
Stoke City boss Narcis Pelach met with Jon Walters this week as they put in place plans for the January transfer window.
Stoke City head coach Narcis Pelach has met with sporting director Jon Walters during this international break to determine how the club might approach the forthcoming January transfer window. Pelach was only appointed in September and has spent the last couple of months gradually forming an idea in his head of what his inherited squad needs.
Stoke have picked up under the Spaniard, who has presided over a run of one defeat in eight games and whose side posted wins over Derby County and Blackburn Rovers before this break. The Potters are, though, a young side who have been missing the experience of injured trio Sam Gallagher, Lynden Gooch and Ben Pearson in recent times.
How exactly the club look to proceed once January arrives remains to be seen, and there is of course so much football to play before the turn of the year. The picture can change quickly, but Pelach has more clarity right now – although he has been heartened by how the existing players have picked up what he has asked of them.
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“On Thursday we spent a long day with Jon Walters together,” Pelach told Stoke-on-TrentLive. “We spent lots of hours together and, and we talk about the squad, and what we want to do going forward. We share thoughts, we share opinions, we have discussions. Of course, I represent my staff as well, all the ideas of my staff, so I put it in my mind and then I’m ready to talk to Jon as well – he does the same with his staff.
“So yesterday was a great day in terms of that, and I think we we are today in a good place to start to know what we want, but every day changes because players are performing, players are playing games, and we see development in them.
“I have seen development in players so far, even more than I expected. So I see Junho Bae doing steps forward. I see Million Manhoef doing steps forward. I see Junior doing steps forward. I see Eric Bocat doing steps forward and Andy Moran, but if I start to mention players, I see steps forward in lots of them, which I thought that was going to be slower, but then my aim always is to improve the squad in many ways and, and we’ll see what we do.”
Pelach recognises that there’ll be boundaries that Stoke must ensure they remain within as they look to constantly improve their squad. He also reasons that the summer will present a much more comprehensive opportunity to make significant alterations to his squad and apply his own influence as regards to personnel.
“We’ll see what we do, what we can do as well, you know, because it’s not just what you want,” Pelach added. “It is as well what the numbers and the money allows you to do, and there are rules and and things.
