Stoke City have made a bid for Basel midfielder Wouter Burger, who has represented the Netherlands at various youth levels.- Burger made 35 appearances for Basel last season and was an important player in their Europa Conference League run.
- Stoke City have had a busy summer transfer window and adding Burger to their squad would provide a physical presence and more balance in midfield.
Stoke City have made a bid to sign Basel midfielder Wouter Burger as Alex Neil looks to continue to add to his squad this summer
Who is Wouter Burger?
The 22-year-old is a central midfielder who can play deeper if needed, and he has represented the Netherlands at all youth levels up to and including the U21 side.
Having come through the ranks at Feyenoord, Burger made 16 appearances for the Rotterdam giants but struggled to establish himself as a regular. Therefore, he made the decision to move to Switzerland in 2021, and he has been an important player for Basel since
Burger made 35 appearances for the side last season, which included starting both games as they reached the Europa Conference League semi-final before losing in extra-time against Fiorentina.
Stoke City make offer for Wout Burger
It now seems that Burger could have the opportunity to move to England for the first time in his career, with Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph revealing that Stoke have made an offer for the player.
The update doesn’t state how much the Potters have bid, but with Basel having paid £600,000 for Burger two years ago, you’d think that they would be in line to make a profit on the midfielder considering he has improved and gained more experience since then.
Burger has a contract with the Swiss side that runs until the summer of 2025, so they are under no pressure to cash in on him before the deadline next month.
Do Stoke need Wout Burger?
It’s been a very busy summer for the Potters so far, with Ben Pearson the main signing in the middle of the park after his impressive loan last season. Plus, Daniel Johnson will offer further competition, but he is a more attack-minded midfielder.
With that in mind, most fans would agree that a new option in central midfield is required, and Burger would appear to have the qualities that Stoke need.
At 6’3”, he is going to bring a real physicality to the team, and, as outlined above, he is someone who is comfortable patrolling in front of the back four. So, that skill-set will certainly be able to help Stoke, and Neil will be seeking more balance to his team.
Stoke City summer transfer plans
After years of underachieving, Neil made it clear that he was going to make major changes to the squad this summer, as he prepares for his first full season in charge – which is exactly what he has done.
Stoke have made some very eye-catching additions, and there looks to be a lot of quality in the group now, with a good mix of young, hungry players and Championship experience.
Of course, there are always ways to improve, and a physical midfielder, like Burger, would make a difference. The prospect of pairing him with Pearson would make Stoke a very difficult team to beat.
Fans will be quietly optimistic about what season can bring, with Neil’s men set to start their campaign against Rotherham this weekend.
