Stoke are set to let Leo Ostigard return to his parent club Brighton in the winter transfer window - and it's left plenty of Potters fans baffled as to why he is being allowed to depart the club.
According to the Stoke Sentinel, the player is being recalled by Brighton and whilst he could either stay on at the Premier League side and play a part or be sent out on a short-term deal again, Stoke fans are confused as to why he is being allowed to leave.
Ostigard has played in 13 fixtures for the club so far this season during his loan spell, so he's been fairly regular in the team. However, despite playing so often for the club and looking bright when he did, he is now set to return to Brighton.
Ostigard has proven he can certainly do a job in the second tier though, so Stoke fans are understandably disappointed to hear that he is now on his way back to his parent club. With the displays he has put in so far, they no doubt believed he could play a part in the second half of the campaign.
However, he could now end up playing either against them in the Championship or even in the Premier League - and plenty fans of the club have now taken to Twitter to react to the news.
It seems the decision isn't going down well in Stoke - but it should mean that if Ostigard does return to Brighton, then the side are likely to dip their feet into the transfer market and try and bring in another centre-back to replace him in the winter transfer window.
The Verdict
It seems a strange one to have him not stay at Stoke, as he at least presents a decent squad option to the club if they need it.
Based on his displays for the Potters, you would think that he would be fairly high up the pecking order and could either get into the starting lineup again or play a part in the squad. However, it looks like Michael O'Neill doesn't see him as part of their plans and so the best thing to do is recall him.
It wouldn't be a surprise to see him start to play in the Premier League for Brighton though - so that might make Stoke regret giving him to the Amex Stadium outfit in January. If he does, he is likely to show flashes of that brilliance again and Potters fans would probably be gutted to see it.
If he isn't going to play at Stoke though, then there is no point keeping him to warm the bench. Instead, Stoke can now eye a different defender in the transfer window instead of Ostigard.