Despite the international break being underway, things at Stoke City have not been quiet with plenty happening in the background at the Bet365 Stadium. 

It's been a mixed season for Stoke City so far this season. They enjoyed a positive first half of the campaign which has faded into battling to stay midtable.

The early season promise is now a distant memory for Stoke and with them currently sitting in 15th with 49 points, they'll be hoping for a strong finish after the international break.

With that in mind, here we take a look at some of the news surrounding Stoke City this week.

Owners long-term commitment

Earlier this week, news broke of the club's hierarchy announcing their long-term commitment by reducing the debts of the clubs holding company by £160m. This news comes after the announcement was made about the stadium being transferred to the owners of the bet365 Group the previous week.

In the statement released by Joint Chairman John Coates, it said: “Converting £40m of loans into equity and waiving £120m of loans greatly strengthens the club’s balance sheet and also provides more long-term stability for the Club.

Ryan Shawcross also had his say on the matter, telling the Stoke Sentinel: “To write off this amount of debt just shows how much they love the club and how desperate they are for the club to be successful again."

It's a huge step forward for Stoke who have wracked up this significant debt and this commitment from the owners means long-term planning can be put in place. It's the pillar for any Championship side and the stability should see them become more successful in the coming campaigns.

Harry Souttar future update

Elsewhere, Harry Souttar dropped a major hint on his future which will come at a huge boost to Michael O'Neill and Stoke City supporters. In an exclusive interview with the clubs official website, Souttar said that he 'sees himself being at the club for the forseeable future': "“I have a few years left on my contract here so I am going to be here for the foreseeable future.

“I’ve have had a really good chat with the manager, and he knows where I am at, what I am doing and the like but he has also reassured me just to take as much time as I need to."

It's a huge boost for everyone involved at Stoke given the defender's importance to the club this season. There was a notable drop-off in the team since his injury and his return next season certainly boosts the promotion hopes of Michael O'Neill's side.

Player departure

Away from the boardroom, Stoke announced that Frank Fielding had joined Salford City on an emergency 7-day loan deal. Fielding joined Stoke City on a free transfer after his summer release from Millwall but is yet to make an appearance in a Potters shirt and has been third-choice keeper' behind Jack Bonham and Joe Bursik.