Stoke City sporting director Jonathan Walters has provided clarity over last week’s Deadline Day saga that saw Potters midfielder Wouter Burger nearly leave the club in a shock move to FC Midtjylland.
Burger has been a key man for Stoke since his August 2023 arrival, despite dips in form over the last 12 months, but was reported to be closing in on a move to the four-time Danish champions on the last day of the window, which came as a surprise to many supporters.
Tipsbladet claimed on the evening of Deadline Day that the Potters and Midtjylland had agreed on a transfer, and he had passed his medical in England and agreed personal terms with the Superliga side, but negotiations had then quickly hit a snag.
Despite the deal looking advanced and all but done, Stoke’s hierarchy then supposedly stopped the deal happening because they were unable to find a replacement for him in Robins’ side so late on. That notion was challenged by StokeonTrentLive’s reports, which stated that the Potters had outright rejected any bid from the Danish side.
While the dust has now settled and Burger has hopefully not been too irked by the situation, the whole thing did call sporting director Jon Walters’ motives and experience into question even more than ever before, but he has now moved to provide an update on what happened from his point of view.
Jon Walters sheds light on Wouter Burger’s January exit saga
Walters was a Potters’ legend as a player, but has struggled to win supporters over since returning in a different capacity last year. He was appointed as the club’s interim technical director a year ago this month, then made sporting director permanently in April before last season had even finished.
While it is impossible to gauge just how much influence he has compared to owner John Coates, it is clear that he is a key member of the team making the big decisions at the bet365 Stadium, and this latest situation surrounding Burger did not initially paint him in a very good light.
However, the 41-year-old has now moved to clarify what went on regarding the Dutch midfielder and Midtjylland’s interest, just over a week after the window finished, in an interview with the Potters’ official media.
He said: “A club made contact quite early on in the window about Wouter (Burger), and I told them at the time, ‘do not leave it until the end of the window, if it is someone you’re interested in, because if it’s something that the club can’t turn down, then I need to find a replacement of Wouter’s stature to bring into the team.’
“He’s not an easy player to replace, so that conversation went quiet, but then got picked up on the last day of the window.
“I explained it to them. We’re in a really difficult situation. I was very open and honest with Wouter, which he appreciated. We’ve got that relationship.
“He was of that mindset that, if something happens with this team and you accept something, then so be it, but if it doesn’t then I am all hands to the pump here. Football is football.
| Wouter Burger’s 2024/25 Championship statistics | |
|---|---|
| Appearances (starts) | 26 (24) |
| Tackles per 90 | 2.36 |
| Clearances per 90 | 1.83 |
| Aerials won per 90 | 1.88 |
| Successful take on % | 60% |
| Dribblers challenged per 90 | 2.22 |
“He is fully committed here, and I think we saw from his performance on Saturday, that’s his mindset. I thought he was excellent for us.
“We need good quality players in the side, and people who are going to battle for the team. I think Wouter has shown that on Saturday.”
Burger proved his quality against Cardiff City last time out
Following the saga on Deadline Day, Potters boss Mark Robins called Burger “a really important player,” while making it pretty clear that he was not prepared to lose his services ahead of a potentially tough few months to come.
The 23-year-old set about proving his worth and quality in his first game for the club after the situation had panned out, as Stoke headed into their fourth round FA Cup clash against fellow Championship outfit Cardiff on Saturday without the pressure of a league game and with a depleted squad due to injuries and cup-ties.
Robins’ men went 2-0 down early on, with their hopes of progression seemingly all but over inside the first 20 minutes, but Burger was the man to step up and take the game to the Bluebirds as he produced a moment of magic just before half-time with a great through ball to set up Lewis Koumas for his first of the afternoon to halve the deficit.
The Dutchman continued to impress into the second period, and was undoubtedly the Potters’ best performer throughout the game, with 84% pass accuracy, two successful dribbles from two attempted, four accurate long balls from five played, 12 ground duels won out of 15, and three fouls won across the 120 minutes of hard graft that he completed.
Stoke’s leveller just after the break saw Burger produce a neat dummy to help Josh Wilson-Esbrand’s throw-in fall at the feet of Liverpool loanee Koumas, who netted for his brace. It was, once again, the kind of piece of skill that the Potters have severely lacked in recent years.
The game finished 3-3 after 120 minutes, and Burger did not shirk responsibility in the shootout as he made no mistake with his spot-kick into the bottom-right corner, but could not save his side from losing 4-2 on penalties.
Boss Robins hailed his performance as both “outstanding” and “brilliant” in his post-match press conference, and based off Saturday’s standout showing, it is pretty obvious as to why the Potters could not afford to lose a player of his importance and stature in the January window.
The sheer fact that it was even floated as an idea will have worried supporters, but Walters’ update has provided the desired clarity and insight into what did happen, and they can rest safe in the knowledge that the 23-year-old is theirs for at least the next three months with a tough relegation battle on the horizon.
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