Stoke City manager Michael O'Neill faces a crucial month where he will be needing to invest in his squad and bring in the players capable of helping the Potters secure their Championship status.

Having had the chance to assess the squad over the last two months, O'Neill will be aware of the areas of the side that need to be improved during the winter window to help get Stoke performing more consistently over the second half of the season, with the Potters needing to find more creativity throughout the side if they are to score enough goals to survive this term.

Despite managing to improve in the final third since O'Neill's arrival, with the Potters having scored 15 goals in their last ten Championship matches under the Northern Irishman, compared with just the 13 they scored in their opening 15 games of the campaign, there have been times where a lack of creativity has let them down in the last third.

Stoke are reportedly interested in a potential move for West Bromwich Albion's experienced midfielder Chris Brunt, and the 35-year-old would offer the potential for more creativity from the either the left-hand side or the middle of the pitch.

Here then, we take a look at ONE potential winner and ONE potential loser at Stoke if they secure a mover for Brunt...

Lee Gregory

One player who is likely to benefit from Stoke potentially securing a move for Brunt in January is Lee Gregory, with the forward having re-established himself as O'Neill's first choice striker during the last few weeks, but the 31-year-old will be needing to improve his output in front of goal if he is to keep his place in the side having scored just three league goals so far.

Brunt's arrival would improve the amount of quality balls being played into the striker from crosses and in open play, with the Northern Irishman boasting the quality in possession to pick out runs from strikers and create plenty of chances from either the left-hand side or from the middle of the pitch.

Brunt's quality to create chances is not limited to open play, with the midfielder offering real quality from dead ball situations, and Gregory could well thrive off some of the 35-year-old's dangerous deliveries into the penalty area from set pieces during the second half of the campaign.

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Jordan Cousins

One potential loser were Stoke to secure a move for Brunt is Jordan Cousins, with the midfielder having only just managed to recently establish himself as a key player for the Potters in the last few weeks, after struggling to really make an impact during the opening months of the season.

Brunt has the ability to play on the left-hand side or in the centre of midfield, and he is unlikely to take James McClean's place in the side due to the winger being one of Stoke's key attacking outlets since O'Neill took charge, which could leave the boss to select the midfielder in his midfield three.

Both Joe Allen and Sam Clucas are unlikely to be dropped from that midfield three, which would leave Cousins as the potential player who makes way so that Brunt can come into the side, and that would leave the midfielder back on the fringes of the starting line-up again.