If you’re a Stoke City fan, a shrewd and frugal approach to a transfer window will be nothing new to you. Whilst there is something to be said for teams who can compete with a small budget, never moving forward from that mindset can be dangerous, as Stoke found out last season.
Many fans were expecting a response from the club’s board as an indication that they had learnt the harsh lessons of last season, yet with deadline day just weeks away it’s been underwhelming from the Potters so far.
What began with so much promise has quickly dwindled to a few, mostly lacklustre rumours that still seem a good deal away from completion.