Schools and homes can complicate any transfer

IT'S NOT JUST A CASE OF BUYING A PLAYER FROM EUROPE AND PUTTING THEM STRAIGHT INTO THE STOKE SIDE. PETE SMITH LOOKS WHAT'S INVOLVED...

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TRANSFERS can take weeks or months to get over the line, especially if they have involved protracted talks to bring in a new player from overseas, but a photo holding a Stoke City scarf in front of the Boothen End isn't job done.

Stoke have brought in Lamine Cisse and Robert Bozenik so far from mainland Europe and they are hoping to welcome Tomas Rigo too, if he finalises a move from Czech club Banik Ostrava.

This kind of business features a load of key elements from scouting, due diligence and procuring visas to the process of relocating players and their families to England, even before they get to trying to adjust to training at Clayton Wood and playing in the Championship.

Stoke have people like head of football administration Chris Laird and player liaison officer Matt Hockin to try to smooth it all over and help the man at the centre of it all concentrate as much as possible on football.