Stoke transfer news: Paul Lambert to make first Stoke signing with Augsburg’s Kostas Stafylidis
Potters boss has wasted no time in moving to shore up the leaky defence as he finalises loan swoop for the former Fulham star
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PAUL LAMBERT has wasted no time shoring up Stoke’s leaky defence with Augsburg’s Greek left-back Kostas Stafylidis expected to arrive in the next 24 hours.
The Potters boss was impressed by the 24-year-old attacking wing-back during a fact-finding trip to the Bundesliga club in mid-October.
Now he is set to sign him on loan until the end of the season.
The Scot has a number of contacts at the highest level in Germany from his time with Borussia Dortmund, where he won the Champions League in 1997.
Stefan Reuter, Lambert’s former team-mate at Dortmund, is Augsburg’s General Manager.
And he has helped Lambo push through Stfylidis’s signing ahead of Serie A clubs Roma and Fiorentina.
Reuter told the German press: “The deal is not yet official but it is in the last leg.”
The 24-year-old Greece international will join until the end of the season.
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He will provide cover and competition for Erik Pieters, who has missed five of Stoke’s last six games through injury.
Satfylidis already has experience of English football.
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He made 44 appearances for Fulham while they were in the Championship in 2014-15.
The ace is also a free-kick specialist who Lambert hopes can help plug the Potters’ defence which is the leakiest in the Premier League.
After the 3-0 defeat at Manchester United on Monday, the Potters have conceded a half-century of goals already this season.
Austrian right-back Moritz Bauer made his debut against the Red Devils on Monday as the Potters look to escape the relegation zone.
Stoke are currently 18th in the table and a point away from safety.
Lambert only has 15 games to transform their fortunes and maintain his record of never being relegated.
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