With Stoke City looking to try and push on up the Championship table this year, it looks like they could be trying for a transfer deal for Terence Kongolo.

The defender plays his football for Fulham but with the club having been promoted to the Premier League and the player already struggling to play games at Craven Cottage, he could now be on his way out of the club.

Rather than the Cottagers letting Kongolo sit on the sidelines though, he is training with Stoke and could seal a move to the Potters if the club like what they see of the player on the field.

Ahead of a potential transfer deal then, is it a good move for Stoke? And would he get gametime at the bet365 Stadium?

 

 

Is it a good potential move?

Considering all the experience that Kongolo has as a player and the likely transfer fee, it could be a solid move by Stoke to bring him in.

With 46 Premier League games under his belt and over 100 in the Eredivise, he has shown he is well capable of playing at a higher level than the Championship. Having played in the second tier before with Huddersfield too, he knows the league well and what he would play against in the Championship.

Even with Stoke having solid options at the back already, he would be a good signing. He provides a different option as a defender and the player would also likely thrive given regular first-team football again.

If Stoke and Fulham can agree to a bargain fee too, it could be a really shrewd deal.

Would he start?

With all the Stoke defenders fit, there is not a guarantee that he would start when you consider the other centre-backs they have at the club.

However, if Stoke want to be contenders for promotion, they need to have good depth options in their squad. The Championship season is a long campaign and if they have injuries, they need to have decent players to come into the first-team.

Kongolo as a player would be a superb option at the back considering his knowhow of the league and in rotation, you would be happy with the defender coming into the team.

Kongolo might play a bit more than he does with Fulham but probably not every game for Stoke.

What does he offer?

Kongolo is a solid centre-back that offers excellent tackling ability and vision to stop opposition strikers getting chances on goal.

He has a good eye for intercepting the ball from other players and when it comes to being a rock at the back, Kongolo can be just that. He plays well without the ball, being able to watch opposition strikers and then step in and make a tackle when needed.

Whilst the player isn't your typical ball-playing defender, he can certainly keep a clean sheet and could be a solid option for Stoke this season.