Championship side Stoke City are reportedly keen to land one of League One’s star talents during the January transfer window, but they will need to pay a seven-figure fee.
The Potters currently find themselves 16th in the Championship, having won just four of their opening 13 league games, although they did end a five-match winless run on Saturday with a victory over newly promoted Derby County.
Stoke have currently scored 15 in their first 13 games, which likely explains why they are struggling to pick up points in recent matches and the addition of a new attacker could make a significant difference.
Jonathan Walters and Lee Darnborough have been scouting players for the Championship in recent weeks and one player has stood out amongst the rest.
Stoke eye move for League One star
As reported by journalist Alan Nixon, Stoke City are keen to secure the services of Wigan Athletic playmaker Thelo Aasgaard in January but will need to pay a high transfer fee to land him.
The Norwegian U21s international was the subject of interest from fellow Championship side Blackburn Rovers during the summer transfer window, but their bid failed to get close to the player’s valuation of around £3 million.
However, Stoke City are expected to find themselves in a much stronger position to try and secure his signature in the upcoming transfer window, potentially boosting their attacking output during the second half of the season.
What would Aasgaard bring to Stoke City?
The 22-year-old has had a positive start to the 2024/25 League One season with Wigan Athletic thus far, scoring three goals in his first 13 league matches with his most recent strike coming during a 2-1 defeat against Mansfield Town.
Aasgaard currently averages 2.42 shots per match for Wigan, as well as 6.18 duel wins and an overall passing success rate of 80.8%, proving to be further effective within the final third in League One this season.
Meanwhile, Stoke have scored just ten of their 15 goals from open play this season, with top scorer Tom Cannon scoring five although four of them came in the same match and is only on loan at the Championship side, meaning the prospect of a new attacker could be a much-welcomed addition.
A January transfer could potentially be on the cards for the midfielder as it may boost his chances of being selected for the Norwegian first-team squad as the nation continues to push towards qualification for their first World Cup tournament since 1998.