Stoke City are interested in Motherwell right-back Stephen O'Donnell, who will be available on a free transfer later this month.

The 28-year-old was a free agent in the summer after leaving Kilmarnock, and he ended up joining the fellow Scottish Premiership side on a short-term deal which ran until January initially.

Whilst he has the option to extend that, O'Donnell has been unclear about what he will do in the future.

And, the Daily Record have revealed that Stoke are targeting the defender as they look to provide Tommy Smith with more competition at full-back.

It has been a position that has given boss Michael O'Neill a few problems this season, as Nathan Collins, naturally a centre-back, has had to fill in when Smith has been unavailable.

Whether O'Donnell would be happy to make the switch to the Championship remains to be seen, as he has previously stated that he wants to be playing regularly as he looks to keep his place in the Scotland squad for the upcoming Euro 2020 tournament.

He started when the Scots secured a memorable win against Serbia to qualify back in November.

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The verdict

This would be a smart bit of business from Stoke, as O'Donnell is a reliable, steady player, who is going to be a free transfer.

In terms of O'Neill's style, he could fit in as a wing-back as well as in a back four, so there's no concerns there at all.

The only potential issue is game time ahead of the major tournament for Scotland, but if Stoke can get this sorted it's a bargain for them and given the team good competition at right-back.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.