Eric Bocat is thought to be on the verge of joining Steven Schumacher’s team. Stoke City are on the verge of signing Sint-Truiden’s 24-year-old left-back Eric Bocat, who was previously believed to be a Leicester City target back in April. Stoke City finished 17th last season, but had some excellent wins in the final few games. This late optimism has been matched with several good additions, including Rotherham United’s top goalkeeper, Viktor Johansson, and Norwich City’s Ben Gibson.
With the transfer market fully open, the Staffordshire-based club is getting down to business, and Bocat appears to be the next in line to join Steven Schumacher’s side. Stoke fans will hope that this marks the start of a new era as they aim for a much higher finish in the second tier of English football. Eric Bocat transfer latest
As previously indicated, TeamTalk has discovered that Bocat is very close to signing with Stoke City this summer. The 24-year-old has made 38 appearances for Sint-Truiden this season and was previously linked with Leicester City and Trabzonspor.
Bocat joined the Belgian First Division A for the 2020/21 season, joining Royal Excel Mouscron from French Ligue 1 club Lille. He joined Sint-Truiden in the summer of 2022 and appeared in 25 league games during the 2022/23 First Division A season, gradually working his way into the first-team lineup. Stoke fans may be allowed to get their hopes up about Bocat signing after his agent shared a video of him flying from Brussels to Manchester (the closest airport to Stoke) on Tuesday. This, combined with the most recent reports, can only raise hopes that he is on the verge of coming, and it appears that just the formalities remain to seal Stoke’s third signing of the summer.
With only a year left on his contract, it appears unlikely that a deal will be too expensive for the Potters’ leadership. Furthermore, Stoke’s ability to provide guaranteed first-team football may have been a deciding factor in turning down interest from Leicester and Trabzonspor. Bocat can learn from Enda Stevens. While Bocat has gained valuable experience in Belgium, he still has a lot of room for growth at the age of 24. Who better to learn from for the Frenchman than Enda Stevens, who impressed for the Potters when fit last season?
Stevens, who recently signed a new 12-month contract at the Bet365 Stadium, may have his full-back duties shared with Bocat if he signs. This should be no problem for either player, with the former Mouscron player undoubtedly eager to learn from the Irish international, who has appeared in over 150 Championship games. Furthermore, because Bocat played almost every game last season as a left wing-back, he may struggle to adjust to the additional defensive responsibilities, so Stevens might help the youngster with this.
Whatever the case, the 24-year-old would be a good long-term choice, and a year under the tutelage of a knowledgeable figure like Enda Stevens can’t hurt. So, for Stoke fans, this is a transaction to watch in the coming days.
