Stoke City manager Michael O’Neill has admitted that Super Eagles midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo is keen on a move away from the Potters.
O’Neill stated this ahead of Stoke’s first home game of the new Championship season against Blackpool.
Etebo returned from his loan spell at Watford but reports indicate that he could exit Stoke before the close of the summer transfer window.
His loan spell at Watford did not go as planned as he spent Close to five months on the sidelines due to a torn quad muscle injury that required surgery.
And since O’Neill took over as Stoke boss in November 2019, Etebo has not been utilized by the Northern Irishman, making the matchday squad on two occasions without making any appearance.
Recall Etebo has been loaned out to Getafe in Spain and Turkish outfit Galatasaray, playing on a regular basis for both teams.
And speaking ahead of this weekend’s round of Championship fixtures, O’Neill said the 2018 World Cup star is not yet in top condition.
“Peter’s been away from the club for two and a half years,” The Irish coach was quoted by Stoke Sentinel.
“In that period he’s been on three different loans. He previously hasn’t returned in pre-season, this pre-season he has returned and he played some games for Nigeria at the end of last season. He had quite a bad injury last season with Watford so missed quite a portion of the season.
“He’s not fit enough to train with the squad yet and I think in his mind he’s still looking for a permanent exit from the club. It’s very difficult for us as a club to rewind two-and-a-half years but he’s still our player, he’s contracted to the club and we’re duty bound to look after him, which is what we’re doing.”
