Every year, the English Premier League is certainly more exciting along with the presence of many top players from various countries. Not only big clubs that have the privilege to realize big signings every season, club medioker like Stoke City also have a similar opportunity.
In fact, Stoke can be proud because they are the team that has the most players in the Champions League in the Premier League this season. This unique fact sticking to the surface after The Potters officially borrow Jese Rodriguez from Paris Saint-Germain, Wednesday (16/8).
Jese, borrowed one season from PSG, is the fifth player in the squad of Mark Hughes who ever won the Champions League. The Spaniard has twice lifted the Ear Spider alongside his previous club, Real Madrid.
The four other Champions League winners in Stoke are Darren Fletcher (Manchester United), Bojan Krkic (Barcelona), Xherdan Shaqiri (Bayern Munich), and Ibrahim Afellay (Barcelona).
The number of five Champions League winners in Stoke exceeds other Premier League giants like Chelsea (4), Manchester City (3), Manchester United (2), Arsenal (1) and Liverpool (1). Thus, Stoke deserves to be called the "most Champions League" English club in the 2017/18 season.
Jese, 24, certainly hopes his move can improve his reputation after a difficult shine at PSG so he was loaned out to Las Palmas in the second half of last season. Stoke itself does require a new striker after releasing Marko Arnautovic to West Ham United this summer.
"We are glad he chose us. He is not in a happy period in Paris, but he is young and hungry to show his light in the Premier League. The quality is unquestionable and he will be the additional ammunition we need, "said Stoke CEO Tony Scholes on the club's official website.