Liverpool mauling a boost in transfer market, says Stoke chairman Coates

Stoke City chairman Peter Coates believes a record-breaking Premier League season combined with the final-day thrashing of Liverpool will help entice a higher calibre of player to the Britannia Stadium.

Stoke set their highest Premier League points tally of 54 this season en route to a ninth-placed finish for the second consecutive campaign.

Mark Hughes’ men ended the term in memorable fashion as they beat Liverpool 6-1 at home – their biggest Premier League win.

Coates revelled in that triumph and feels it will do no harm in the transfer market in the coming weeks.

“It wasn’t a bad way to end the season at all was it? Nobody foresaw such a convincing victory as that,” Coates told Stoke’s official website. 

“Ending the season in the manner that we did has certainly helped. The more established you are the better the quality of players that you are able to attract. 

“We have got a number of targets, but it is never easy to get them in. We are working on it though and hopefully we will be in a position to start the season with a stronger and better squad than we ended the last season with. 

“That is obviously the objective, but for that to happen you need one or two things to fall into place. 

“There are players who have been identified by the recruitment team, which Mark Hughes obviously oversees, and there are opportunities for us to maybe get one or two things done.” 

Stoke have already started their recruitment drive for next season with the signing of Danish goalkeeper Jakob Haugaard from FC Midtjylland.