Stoke director Walters aims for multiple signings

Stoke City sporting director Jonathan Walters, who played over 200 matches for the club and took the role in April 2024, said he wants to secure a large number of signings before pre‑season begins next month. He made the comments ahead of a behind‑closed‑doors friendly with Portuguese side Braga on 10 July.

Stoke City finished 17th in the Championship last season, eight points clear of the relegation zone. The Potters are preparing for their ninth campaign in the second tier since leaving the Premier League at the end of the 2017‑18 season.

The club released midfielders Lewis Baker and Steven Nzonzi at the end of the campaign. It also made striker Milan Smit's loan move permanent and previously added ten players in the summer and four in the January window.

"I hope to get a lot of signings in before pre‑season, that's my wish," Walters told BBC Radio Stoke. He added that the World Cup had slowed the market and that Premier League activity often dictates the pace of transfers for clubs below it.

Walters said budgets force the club to be realistic about targets, noting that top Premier League players would cost £30‑40 million. He stressed the need to identify the type of player who matches Stoke's desired playing identity rather than chasing unattainable names.

"If you look at our identity on the football pitch I am not a person that wants a goalkeeper to stand on the ball for 20 seconds – that's not Stoke City," he explained. He continued that the team must increase possession, create more shots on target and maintain high‑energy pressing.

Stoke will face Portuguese side Braga behind closed doors on Friday, 10 July, before beginning pre‑season in earnest at neighbours Crewe Alexandra eight days later. The friendly provides an early test for any new arrivals ahead of the Championship campaign.

"There's a certain way I think a Stoke City team needs to play. When you see players coming in the building, they're not always going to be superstars but they'll have some sort of super strength that really affects what we're trying to do," Walters said. He affirmed that every recruit must align with the club's high‑energy, duelling style.