Stoke are in the middle of a push for a promotion spot in the Championship - and whilst they would no doubt like to have funds available to help secure a top six spot, the Stoke Sentinel reports that they have barely anything to spend.

The Potters are currently sat in sixth place and a win could take them a place higher. However, they're only in that spot by a point, with several sides below them all capable of leapfrogging them into the play-off places.

They'll therefore need to ensure that they can keep up their good form in the second half of the campaign - and adding some fresh faces in the January window would no doubt have helped them consolidate their place in that top six.

 

 

However, the Stoke Sentinel is reporting that Michael O'Neill may be working with his hands tied behind his back come the winter window, as the club have no funds available to spend on any players.

Stoke want a return to the Premier League as soon as they can but their recent spending has ultimately led to them now having very little in terms of funds to spend in the winter window.

Michael O'Neill therefore may have to flog some players to raise some money before he can bring anyone in - or may have to look to the youth team or balance his squad well to ensure they can see out the season in a play-off spot. If they can, then it will be a good job done by the current boss and squad.

The Verdict

Stoke are a solid side and they have some good players in their squad currently too. They have a lot of talent in there and could quite easily cope without any new signings - but that won't mean they wouldn't want anyone.

O'Neill would no doubt love to have the opportunity to sign some additional players in the winter window. It could give him some added squad depth and also help ensure a good rotation of his side for the rest of the campaign.

For the Potters though, that isn't possible. They're going to have to look to their academy or balance their squad correctly to ensure that they have enough match fit players to compete on a weekly basis.

If the manager can handle it, then there is every chance that they could then seal that play-off spot.