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Former loanee Harry Clarke is expected to re-join Stoke City on a permanent deal. The right-back, aged 25, has been identified to come in as competition for Junior Tchamadeu, who will miss the start of the season with a hamstring injury. A reported fee of £3.5m from the Ipswich media clearly would include significant add-ons based on success. He has been at Ipswich since leaving Stoke in early 2023, having spent half-a-season on loan at the bet365 Stadium under Michael O’Neill and Alex Neil. He immediately helped Ipswich win promotion from League One and then go up again to the Premier League a year later although he has since fallen down the pecking order at Portman Road. Loan moves have followed at Sheffield United and, last season, at Nathan Jones’ Charlton. FOLLOW OUR FACEBOOK PAGE! Latest Stoke City news, analysis and more via the Sentinel There has been competition for his signature this summer, with reported interest from Bristol City. But Stoke have stepped in after their season opener in the Carabao Cup against Oldham on Saturday, as Tchamadeu has missed a chunk of pre-season after limping out of a friendly at Crewe. Tchamadeu only started half of Stoke’s league games last term due to injuries and international commitments but signed a new contract in the spring. Centre-half Ben Wilmot has been deputising at right-back in friendlies while Syd Agina has gone out on loan to Forest Green Rovers. Million Manhoef told The Sentinel he isn’t too fussed about who has been playing behind him on the flank and the different roles that has meant. He said after a 1-1 draw with Valencia on Saturday: “Of course it’s different but I think we are trying to get Ben to use his strengths and let me play more wide. “With Junior I can go inside and he can make overlaps and I can drop into the number 10 or into pockets. It’s a different kind of role but I also like it so it doesn’t really matter for me. “Hopefully I can make it work. I am strong in one v ones so if I can get a lot of one v ones on the side then I think I will be playing to my strength.” Stoke could make it a quickfire double deal with Ipswich as they also chase striker George Hirst, aged 27. Hirst scored 11 times in Ipswich’s promotion campaign last season but might be short of game time as new boss Gary O’Neil brings in £26m new man Emersonn, £10m Daizen Maeda from Celtic and probably one more centre-forward. Mark Robins has a busy stable of strikers – with Sam Gallagher, Lamine Cisse, Robert Bozenik and Milan Smit – but Stoke want to add some more Championship know-how to their front line. Hirst made his breakthrough at Sheffield Wednesday and joined Leicester before getting experience on loan at Rotherham, Portsmouth and Blackburn. He has been at Ipswich for the same time as Clarke and could be allowed to move out on an initial loan deal. What do you think? Click HERE to join the debate