Opinion: Stoke City should target 25-year-old to address problem area before transfer deadline

Stoke City are holding a very capable squad back in a number of areas at the moment, one of those positions in goal.

Josef Bursik is a good prospect at the age of 22, but he is nowhere near ready to be relied upon as a Championship first choice goalkeeper.

The former England U21 international does not command his area very well, making the Potters vulnerable at set pieces and has a below-par shot-stopping ability for the level, at this stage of his career, that has consistently cost Stoke goals in the last couple of seasons when he has been in favour.

The Potters should not have allowed Adam Davies to leave for Sheffield United in January, and should arguably be opting for Jack Bonham between the sticks at the start of this season.

If Michael O’Neill, and the club, are not convinced of Bonham’s abilities, they should be looking to bring in another goalkeeper before the end of the window.

The Potters have utilised the five domestic loan slots you are allowed to name in a matchday squad and therefore may need to look abroad if they are to bring in a new glovesman on a temporary basis.

Brad Collins only has one year remaining on his contract at Barnsley, and for that reason the 25-year-old could be affordable for a club like Stoke, who are able to organically generate funds for use in the transfer market given their infrastructure and supporter base.

A product of the Chelsea academy, Collins already has 81 Championship matches under his belt, and despite playing in a desperately poor Barnsley side last season, he was able to finish the campaign with some credit.

Michael Duff’s Tykes do not seem likely to put together a push for automatic promotion in the third tier, and that could make a move to the second tier even more