Stoke City have signed the out of contract former Schalke forward, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting on a three year deal. He replaces the outgoing Marko Arnautovic who made the move down to London a couple of weeks ago.
The Cameroonian is diverse and can play on the wing or up top. At Schalke he played mainly on the wing, scoring 3 times in 30 games last campaign. Like Arnautovic, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is over 6ft, meaning he will bring an aerial presence to Stoke’s attack.
On the international stage he has scored 13 goals in 42 appearances for the African nation, including representing at 2 world cups. However at youth level, the forward played for Germany and scored an impressive 8 goals in 10 games for the under 19’s and under 21’s sides.
Mark Hughes said:
“We are understandably thrilled to have secured his signature and Eric is excited about the prospect of playing in the Premier League.” “The competition to sign him this summer was particularly intense with clubs across Europe wanting him.”
Fantasy Football Potential
In Fantasy Premier League, he is priced at a very generous 5.5m and most importantly he is classed as a midfielder. This could make the attacker very tempting for some FPL managers as Mark Hughes may decide to play him up top. I think that he could be a bargain for the upcoming season as long as Stoke can have a good season without Arnautovic.
Taking this into consideration, I believe Choupo-moting could be this season’s Josh King and he may become a must have for all FPL managers, dependant on Stoke’ form. However I wouldn’t select him straight away as he isn’t yet proven in the Premier League and could be a waste of vital budget.
Stoke’s opening fixtures are as follows; Everton (A), Arsenal (H), West Brom (A), Manchester United (H) and Newcastle (A). These opening difficult matches may prove if Choupo-moting has what it takes to play in the Premier League.
If you have enjoyed this view of the fantasy potential of those moving teams this transfer window, be sure to check the others here.
Written by Harry Clark (@HarryClark67)
