Stoke City had a fairly average season this past season, finishing 14th in the league and with 62 points.

The Potters also found themselves sat in 14th in the table at the end of the 2020-21 campaign as well, so fans may feel disappointed about a lack of progression during this campaign.

Next season will be the Potters' third one starting under the management of Michael O'Neill, so fans will now be hoping for a change in fortune with a look towards improvement and pushing up towards the top 10 - if not the play-offs.

Before that though, the Staffordshire outfit will need to look at their current squad and identify where they need to strengthen ahead of the new season and which players may be able to leave the club as well.

With that in mind, here we take a look at eight possible transfer scenarios that might play out at Stoke City now the season is over.

Joe Allen's contract with Stoke expires this summer and although the club announced that they have offered him a new deal, the 32-year-old is yet to sign it.

Allen has been linked with a move back to Wales with Swansea interested in the player but even if he does leave, the Potters will be disappointed if they don't get anything for him when he leaves.

Despite being an older player, Allen is still a very reliable player in the Championship and would be able to help Stoke push up the leauge.

Afobe has been with Stoke City since the summer of 2019, although he has been on loan with Millwall this past season.

His loan spell at The Den went well as he scored 12 goals and contributed three assists in 38 appearances.

O'Neill has already spoken recently about trying to get the last few 'legacy' wages off the books of the club, which include Afobe and Peter Etebo, with their big salaries restricting what Stoke can do right now in the transfer market.

Despite his good form for Millwall though, there’s no guarantee Gary Rowett will choose to make a bid for him at the moment, so where his future lies is yet to be seen.

It was previously reported that Stoke were interested in Derby County’s Nathan Byrne, with the defender has making 41 appearances for the Rams this past season in the Championship and winning the club's Players' Player of the Year award.

Possibly as a result of such interest, Derby took up their option on the right-back keeping him at the club for another year.

Therefore, if the Potters want him now they will have to pay a fee for him which leaves Michael O’Neill with something to ponder over the coming weeks.

According to the Daily Mail, Stoke are interested in the signing of Cameron Humphreys.

The 23-year-old, a former Manchester City centre-back, is now a free agent having departed Belgian side Zulte Waregem following the end of the season.

The youngster is clearly talented having played for England at youth level and he took a gamble to go to another country to get game-time, and that's exactly what he got having played 26 times last season in the Belgian top flight.

Given his young age, there is still plenty of time for development, which would make him a good signing to complement the rest of Stoke's defenders.

According to Stoke-on-Trent Live, the Potters remain to have an interest in loan player Josh Maja.

Maja joined Stoke on loan during the January transfer window last season, although he was only able to score one goal and contribute three assists in 15 appearances, so he didn’t have the impact he would’ve quite hoped to have.

However, he has done well in the past with Sunderland in League One, which secured him a move to Bordeaux in 2019, and therefore the striker could be a decent signing for Stoke as they look to next season as he still has the ability to improve.

Football Insider claim that Stoke are preparing to compete for the signature of Sherwin Seedorf - a distance relative of Dutch legend Clarence.

After leaving Motherwell last year, the 24-year-old is still a free agent after appearing just 32 times in a two-year period for the Scottish side, with his lack of outings being down to injury issues.

According to the report, Stoke have had an interest in the player for a long time and although he has struggled with fitness, if he can get a run of games he could be a decent signing.

20-year-old Taylor Harwood-Bellis joined Stoke on loan from Manchester City in the January transfer window and was a regular name on the team sheet, making 24 appearances for the Potters.

O’Neill has admitted that a permanent transfer is unlikely given the issue of budget, but he would be keen to explore another loan deal for the player.

Given it’s likely he won’t be part of the plans at Manchester City next season, it would be a good addition once again for the club.

However, there has also been interest in the player from Celtic and Burnley, which could make Harwood-Bellis a hard individual to acquire.

If Stoke are unable to get Harwood-Bellis back to the club next season, then they will be looking for a replacement for him in the side.

The Stoke boss has watched top flight Scottish games in preparation for the transfer window and looking at potential signings, and therefore someone like Ryan Porteous may be a strong contender to join the club.

The Hibernian defender has been linked with fellow Championship sides Millwall and QPR and at only 23 years old, this could be a great long-term signing.