Football Transfer Rumours: Rabbi Matondo to Join Stoke City on Loan

A Place in the Wales Euro Squad in Mind

The move will see Matondo return to England for the first time since his £11 million from Manchester City in 2019.

The 20-year-old moved to Germany in a bid to get first-team football. After making his first-team debut at Schalke in 2019, Matondo established himself as a first-team player last season. The winger made 21 appearances as Schalke finished 12th in the table.

But, this season, Matondo has made just three appearances in all competitions. Despite Die Knappen’s poor run, Schalke’s decision not to field the youngster has dented his chances of playing in Euros.

It’s likely that Matondo’s move back to England is due to his desire to play for the national side. The winger recently made his seventh appearance for the national team, but the lack of first-team football could deter his chances of representing Wales in this year’s competition.

Stoke City Looking to Bolster Attack

For the first time since going down to the Championship in 2018, the Potters have found themselves in a great position to get back into the Premier League. They have won 35 points from 23 matches and see themselves sitting eight in the league, just three points of the sixth-placed Watford.

Michael O’Neil is reportedly keen to bolster the Potters’ attack to boost their championship performances. Matondo is one of the several names that the former Northern Ireland manager is looking to bring to the Brittania Stadium. Stoke City’s tally of just 26 goals puts them at just 12th in the list of highest-scoring teams in the Championship.