Potter's Poised to Land Eredivisie Star for Record Fee

Stoke Seal Deal for In-Form Dutchman

Stoke City have never been a side for headline-seeking moves in the transfer window - in fact, they have never spent more than £12 million in one go, with that fee going on the head of club icon and current Basel player Xherdan Shaqiri.

However, now that they find themselves as surprise contenders in a neck-and-neck Championship promotion hunt, the Potters have seen fit to invest in the side, and having spent £9.3 million on Gavin Bazunu last week, Mark Robins' side is on the brink of landing another reinforcement.

Go Ahead Eagles striker Milan Smit is moving to Stoke City. Go Ahead is set to pocket a record transfer fee of €5.5 million.

If the medical examination goes well, Smit will sign for 3.5 years with Stoke City.

Source: @JeroenKapteijns

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— We are Stoke (@weare_stoke) January 20, 2026

Their latest target? Go Ahead Eagles star Milan Smit, who, having starred in the Dutch top flight this season, has seen fit to take his talent to one of the toughest leagues in the world.

Who is Milan Smit?

Though the rumoured €5.5 million fee is far from Stoke City’s biggest outlay, it is significant for Go Ahead Eagles, with it being the highest fee they have ever received for one of their players.

It just goes to show how highly rated the 22-year-old striker is - despite playing for a side lingering just five points above the drop zone, Smit has found the net on 10 occasions this campaign, with three of these coming in the Europa League against the likes of Lyon and Panathinaikos.

That tally has come in 28 games this season - in the same number of games last campaign, the Dutchman netted just three times, an indicator of the rapid improvement he has undergone as a player. The evidence suggests that Stoke are acquiring a serious player. Though not a physical presence up top, Smit more than makes up for his slight frame with lightning-fast movement, superb instincts, and dangerous runs, which never give the backline any respite.

He has also hit form at the perfect time Go Ahead Eagles - across their last 11 games, he is averaging a goal or assist every other game, an output that, when it arrives at the BET365 Stadium, could propel the Potter’s back into the promotion places.

As it stands, Stoke occupy seventh in the Championship, sitting just two points behind Preston. They were briefly in a battle for the top spot with Coventry City, but patchy runs of two wins in eight and two wins in 10 quickly saw them fall away.

Now, with less than half of the season remaining, the Potters found themselves at the heart of a playoff scrap, and any successful Championship side of the past will tell you that to earn promotion, you need an all-round squad.

⚽⚽⚽Milan Smit

🇳🇱 Ajax 2-2 Go Ahead Eagles

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— GoalAlert HQ ⚽️ 🥅 (@GoalAlertHQ) January 17, 2026

Stoke certainly have talent in their ranks, but the one thing they are missing is a prolific striker, with much of the attacking output instead coming through star winger Sorba Thomas.

The signing of Smit could change all that - blessed with attributes tailor-made to Championship football, the nifty striker could provide an immediate fix for Stoke’s attacking problems, and with the service of Sorba Thomas and a defense that has conceded the fewest Championship goals this season behind him, the Dutchman could be the final piece of the Stoke City jigsaw.