Jay Rodriguez, a former center-forward for Southampton and West Bromwich Albion, may be returning to the Championship this summer as his Burnley contract expires at the end of the current campaign.
The seasoned forward returned to the Clarets in 2019 and has been a part of the team since his childhood. Under Vincent Kompany, the team was able to achieve promotion back to the Premier League last season. However, the 34-year-old has only scored twice in 23 games this season as he has settled into a supporting role at Turf Moor.
The former England international will turn 35 in July, so it seems doubtful that the club will give him another contract extension. Burnley, on the other hand, appears headed for an immediate relegation back to the Championship.
The fact that Rodriguez will be a free agent in the summer has caught the attention of Stoke City, a team fighting for survival in the bottom half of the second-tier league, according to a recent report from TeamTalk. According to the newspaper, the Potters think he could be a useful addition to the team before their preseason tour.
Rodriguez’s two stints with Burnley and his stay with West Bromwich Albion have shown him to be a prolific goalscorer in the Championship. The veteran has made 184 appearances in the league below the Premier League, scoring 64 goals and dishing out 21 assists.
Stoke has had difficulty scoring goals throughout the 2023–2024 season. The team’s leading scorer, playmaker Andre Vidigal, has seven goals this season. Moreover, just three groups have scored fewer goals this season than Steven Schumacher’s group. Maybe Rodriguez can help with this in the upcoming season.
Rodriguez’s stints at Burnley and West Bromwich Albion demonstrate his experience and ability to find the net in the Championship. Stoke could probably do worse than to sign him on a 12-month contract, even though it will undoubtedly be a temporary one.
The Potters’ continued presence in the league the following season—Schumacher’s team is now three points above the relegation zone—will be the primary determinant of whether this trade goes through or not. Rodriguez has no desire to sign with a League One team.
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