Stoke City are currently facing an almighty battle to retain their Championship status for another year following an underwhelming start to the 2019/20 campaign.

After opting to replace former manager Nathan Jones with Michael O'Neill in November, the Potters have unquestionably stepped up their performance levels.

However, a lack of consistency in recent weeks has resulted in them being dragged back into a relegation scrap with the likes of Wigan Athletic, Luton Town and Huddersfield Town.

Having lost their last two Championship fixtures, Stoke will be looking to get back to winning ways when they host Cardiff City at the bet365 Stadium this weekend.

Over the years, the Potters have allowed a number of individuals leave the club who have gone on to achieve a mixed amount of success elsewhere.

Here, we take a look at two players who we believe Stoke shouldn't have let go...

Marko Arnautovic

Whilst Arnautovic's four-year spell at Stoke was far from plain-sailing, he did manage to produce some real moments of quality in the Premier League.

After providing 58 direct goal contributions in 145 appearances for the Potters, the Austria international was sold to West Ham United in 2017 for a reported fee of £20m.

A failure to re-invest the money received from this transfer sufficiently ultimately played a role in Stoke's relegation from the top-flight two years ago.

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If Stoke opted to keep Arnautovic at the club instead of cashing in on him, they may have avoided the drop during the 2017/18 campaign.

Bojan

When Bojan joined the Potters in 2014 from Barcelona, expectations were high for the forward due to the reputation that he garnered during his time in Catalunya.

A product of the Blaugrana's famous La Masia academy, the 29-year-old was only able to deliver the goods on a sporadic basis for the Potters due to issues with his fitness.

However, when you consider that Bojan unquestionably possesses a great deal of talent, Stoke's decision to let him leave last year may have been somewhat of an error as they have faltered in his absence this season.

Given that the Potters have only scored 41 goals in 33 games in the Championship, it is imperative that the likes of Sam Vokes and Lee Gregory step up to the mark over the coming months in order to steer the club to safety.