Why Stoke City must offload Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting this summer
European heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain are planning a shock raid on EFL Championship outfit Stoke City, in order to sign attacker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, as per The Sun.
Since getting relegated from the Premier League last season, Stoke have seen a number of players depart bet365 Stadium this summer. The likes of Xherdan Shaqiri, Ramadan Sobhi and Badou Ndiaye have all left for pastures new.
And Choupo-Moting could be the next one in line, if PSG press ahead with their reported interest. So should Stoke allow the player to swap the Championship for the Champions League?
The 29-year-old Cameroonian international joined the Potters on a free transfer last summer, following the expiry of his contract with Bundesliga outfit FC Schalke. Choupo-Moting went on to net five goals and set up five more in 30 Premier League games in his debut campaign in England, with the brace against Manchester United in a 2-2 draw being the biggest highlight.
The attacker went on to miss close to two months of action towards the end of the season with a groin injury and was unable to help his side stave off the drop to the second division.
One of Stoke’s biggest earners, with wages of £60,000-a-week, the 29-year-old remains a proven performer in Europe and has done well for the Cameroonian national team as well. But he hasn’t been part of new manager Gary Rowett’s plans so far in the new campaign, hence remaining fixated on leaving the club.
Instead, the former Derby County manager has relied on summer signing Benik Afobe for goals, along with veteran striker Peter Crouch, Mame Biram Diouf, Bojan and Saido Berahino, who finally broke his 48-game goal drought. More attacking reinforcements have been brought this summer in the form of Tom Ince and James McClean.
Given that they seem well-stocked in the attacking department, Stoke should go ahead and offload the player without any hesitation.
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Keeping a player who earns as much as him and isn’t a part of the manager’s plans going forward, doesn’t make sense from a financial point of view. And with PSG willing to offer as much as £15million for his services, Stoke stand to gain a lot from the sale, considering that they acquired him on a free. A no-brainer really.
