Stoke City boss Michael O'Neill has revealed his side are only in the very early stages of negotiations in their quest to recruit Fulham's Terence Kongolo on a loan deal, speaking to Stoke-on-Trent Live.

The Dutchman has had his time at Craven Cottage ruined by injuries, with Tosin Adarabioyo and Tim Ream remaining as the west London side's first-choice centre-backs during the 2021/22 campaign.

The Cottagers' manager Marco Silva even admitted back in January that the defender wasn't in a good enough condition to be in contention for his side and believed a loan move away during the winter window would have been beneficial.

 

 

He failed to secure a temporary switch away from the English capital during that time - but could potentially head to the Potters with the 28-year-old currently training with O'Neill's side - even with Michael Hector and Alfie Mawson leaving his current side since.

A centre-back and another striker are at the top of the Northern Irishman's transfer agenda at this stage with Harry Souttar remaining out of action with his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and the Potters operating with a back three once again.

Although Kongolo is already in the building at the bet365 Stadium, Stoke's manager has revealed a deal is still in the early stages of being completed with the Cottagers needing to sanction a temporary deal.

He said: "That's at the very, very early stages.

"It's quite a complex situation. We've just got to see on that.

"The nature of the players we're trying to bring in means it won't be straightforward because they're loan options and we have to work with the clubs in that situation."

The Verdict:

This could turn out to be an excellent signing for the Staffordshire outfit considering his quality - and is someone worth bringing in if they are only paying a small percentage of his wages and aren't required to pay a loan fee.

Kongolo is someone that would probably be plying his trade in the top flight now if it wasn't for injuries in recent years - and this fitness record has to be a concern to many considering how little he's played in recent years.

On top form though, he could be a game-changer, it just remains to be seen whether he is as good as he once was following his extended period of time on the sidelines.

It would be a boost if a new centre-back was to come in soon though because it's currently unclear how long Ben Wilmot will be out for after limping off against Millwall at the weekend.

They won't want to change their system just because of injuries, so ensuring they have enough options in this department and up front has to be a priority going into the final month of the window.