Stoke City are reportedly interested in bringing Blackburn Rovers midfielder Corry Evans to the club this summer to bolster their midfield options according to the Football Insider.

With Sam Clucas being linked with a move to recently relegated Premier League side West Bromwich Albion and the out of favour Ryan Woods being a transfer target for Birmingham City, Michael O'Neill will be looking to add more strength in depth into his side's midfield.

However, the Potters are not the only ones vying to sign the 30-year old who got released at the end of the season by Blackburn.

Fellow Championship outfit Cardiff City are also interested in recruiting Evans to their club meaning that if Stoke do end up bringing in the Northern Ireland international, they will have fought off some stiff competition.

What would Evans bring to Stoke?

With 267 appearances in the Championship for both Hull City and Blackburn since 2011, Evans would bring a wealth of experience at this level.

He fully understands and is aware of the quality that is expected in the Championship and this experience could be seen to be crucial for Stoke, something that they currently lack in the central midfield role.

This would especially be the case if Clucas does go on to leave the club in the summer leaving the only current experienced heads in the midfield area being Joe Allen and former Chelsea player Jon Obi Mikel.

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Not only does Evans have experience at Championship level, he further has vast experience of playing on the international stage considering that he has 66 caps under his name since his debut for Northern Ireland in 2009.

During this time the midfielder has been able to test himself against some of the best players in world football as well as being involved in Euro 2016 where he played in three of the four games.

Therefore, by recruiting another experienced figure that would feature in the centre of midfield, it would likely to provide the side with reliability, something which will be vital as O'Neill's outfit push for a finish in the top six.

Would it be a wise decision to recruit Evans

With Jordan Cosuins leaving the club upon the release of his contract, along with Clucas potentially playing his football elsewhere come the start of next season, it means that defensive-minded midfielders at the club are limited.

If Clucas does go on to depart it means that the Potters obtain only two defensive midfielders in Obi Mikel and Jordan Thompson.

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Consequently for O'Neill more players in this role will be a necessity this summer and the linked Evans would certainly fit this bill.

His experience at this level is certainly something that will attract the club and if brought in players will know that he is someone that can be trusted and relied upon.

Therefore, for these reason it would be a good idea for O'Neill to do all they can to bring in Evans on a reasonable wage as he is someone who is likely to bring consistency and sustainability to the squad, something that will always be significant in the upcoming long and difficult season.

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