Stoke City hint at loan transfer decision for highly-rated defender

Stoke City expect to keep Connor Taylor in-house this season despite a queue of clubs trying to take him on loan in League One.

The 20-year-old centre-half is back from an excellent year on loan at Bristol Rovers, where he played a key role as they won promotion from League Two. Michael O'Neill had wanted to run the rule over him in pre-season and he has impressed enough to earn a new three-year contract.

He is nudging the top of the pecking order on the right of a back three but there is competition from Phil Jagielka and Ben Wilmot in particular for that spot and the transfer window is still open. There is an appreciation that he should be playing regularly - but if anything were to happen it would happen late in the window.

There are two more pre-season friendlies, including tomorrow at Bristol Rovers, and then eight competitive games before deadline day.

Andy Cousins, head of football operations, said in an interview for the club website: “We’d like it to be here. The idea of signing a new contract is that it will be here. But we have to assess that realistically along the way. There’s a balance with players as they are on an upward trajectory that they keep playing games. Once that opportunity is there it will be here.

“If we do feel like that at some point he needs to go to a next step, obviously Bristol Rovers last season were in League Two, so there are quite a few who would take him on loan in League One. We’re assessing that in pre-season.

“At the minute we’re really impressed with how he’s doing, how he’s coping and how he’s handling things. Whether you're Connor Taylor or Phil Jagielka, every day you have to impress the manager to get into the team on a Saturday. He’ll be given the same opportunity as