Stoke City is making significant changes to their recruitment strategy ahead of the summer, focusing more on international scouting. Lee Darnbrough, the former head of recruitment for Hull City, is expected to join Stoke, bringing with him a successful track record in transfers.
Darnbrough’s mixed strategy has seen both successes and failures, but his extensive contacts and experience could be advantageous for Stoke. This shift comes after Stoke parted ways with their head of recruitment, Jared Dublin, on May 20th, following an 11-month tenure that included two busy transfer windows. Under Dublin, Stoke emphasized scouting outside the UK, signing 23 players across the summer and winter windows. While there were some successes like Wouter Burger, Jun-Ho Bae, and Million Manhoef, there were also several misses such as Wesley, Chiquinho, and Nikola Jojic.
Dublin was initially appointed by then-technical director Ricky Martin, who was dismissed in February, paving the way for former player Jon Walters to take over. Consequently, Dublin’s departure seemed inevitable as Stoke’s transfer strategy shifted.
Now, Stoke is seeking a new head of recruitment to work alongside manager Steven Schumacher and Walters. Journalist Alan Nixon has suggested that Lee Darnbrough is likely to join the Potters. Darnbrough has been instrumental in securing key transfers for Hull City on a modest budget since joining them from Norwich City in 2017.
Although Hull City hasn’t seen major success on the field during Darnbrough’s tenure, he has overseen several important transfers. Notable signings include future stars Harry Wilson and Fikayo Tomori on loan, as well as players like Malik Wilks, Greg Docherty, and Richard Smallwood, who played crucial roles in Hull’s promotion back to the Championship as League One champions in 2021.
Other successful signings under Darnbrough include George Honeyman, Alfie Jones, and Jacob Greaves, all of whom won the club’s Player of the Year award in 2021, 2023, and 2024, respectively. Hull has also benefited from giving young players from higher-tier teams a chance, such as Regan Slater and Ryan Longman from Sheffield United and Brighton, respectively.
Recent transfer windows under Darnbrough have been particularly ambitious, with smart use of the loan market. Players like Fabio Carvalho, Tyler Morton, and Liam Delap have helped Hull achieve a seventh-place finish in the Championship, just three points shy of the play-offs. Carvalho had an outstanding six-month loan spell from Liverpool, scoring nine goals and providing two assists in 20 games. Morton, also on loan from Liverpool, was a regular fixture in the team, earning an England U21 call-up and the EFL Young Player of the Month award for December. Jaden Philogene, signed permanently from Aston Villa for £5 million, had a standout season with 12 goals and five assists.
Despite these successes, Darnbrough’s tenure has also seen some less successful signings, such as James Scott, Allahyar Sayyedmanesh, and Dogukan Sinik, who did not meet expectations despite significant investment.
Stoke’s recent transfer history has had its ups and downs, and Darnbrough’s expertise and network could be highly beneficial if he joins the club. His potential move to Stoke is not the first time he has been linked with a departure from Hull; he was considered by Scottish Premiership side Hearts in 2019 and Premier League team Wolves in 2020, highlighting his respected status in English football.
If hired, Darnbrough could help Stoke achieve successful transfer business ahead of the summer window, setting the stage for a potential top-half finish in the Championship for the first time since their relegation in 2018.
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