Stoke City have raided Championship club Middlesbrough to make two signings as the end of the transfer window draws closer.
Huth and Tuncay, the new Stoke signing, pressuring Bobby Zamora.
They have signed defender Robert Huth and striker Tuncay for a combined fee of £10m and they may both make their debuts against Sunderland this weekend.
Both signings are a sign of Stoke’s intentions this season and it is clear that they are determined to firmly establish themselves as a Premier League club. Potters boss Tony Pulis seems very happy with his week’s work in the transfer market as well.
Speaking about Huth – who completed his move on Thursday – Pulis said that the German defender gives the team ‘international pedigree and Premier League experience’. He also said that the former Chelsea man was the type of player that can help Stoke improve on their respectable finish of 12th last season.
As for Turkish international Tuncay – who finalised his switch to the club on Friday – Pulis revealed how excited he was about how the lively striker can ‘get the crowd going’. As captain of his national team, Pulis also believes that he can add leadership qualities to the team and help those around him at all times.
Stoke Chief executive Tony Scholes also spoke of his delight about the double capture saying that both players had ‘attracted attention from a number of big clubs’, meaning that it is a ‘powerful statement’ of the club’s intentions this season.
It has been a mixed start to the season for Stoke so far with one victory, one defeat and one draw in the league so far. They have secured a place in the next round of the Carling Cup game though, so there is something to build on in the rest of the campaign as they attempt to upset the Carling Cup odds.
Three points against Sunderland this weekend would certainly confirm the relatively solid start to the season and the inclusion of Huth and Tuncay in the squad will surely boost the team’s chances of this.
