Stoke City and Swansea City target Bashir Humphreys has a growing chance of staying with Chelsea this season, Wales Online has said.

20-year-old centre-back Humphreys has caught the eye in his break into first-team football. He’s tasted senior action with Chelsea while also spending a spell on loan in Germany with SC Paderborn last season.

The youngster has been linked with a fresh loan move this summer too. Plenty of Championship sides have been mentioned as admirers but recent reports said Stoke City are interested while Swansea City are pushing to get a deal done this week.

Now though, the Swans and the Potters look to have been dealt a blow in their respective pursuits.

Time will tell

A Championship move seems like a good next step for Humphreys to take after his spell in Germany but if Chelsea plan on keeping him around the team, Stoke City and Swansea City might have no choice but to turn their attentions elsewhere.

For now, it seems they’ll have to play a waiting game for the centre-back. Time will tell if the two sides opt to sign another player rather than wait for Humphreys, but he’d certainly make for a solid addition.

Left-footed centre-backs are a hot commodity these days and to get one of his ability on loan would present smart business for any Championship side, hence the interest he has drawn this summer. Humphreys has spent much of his career to date in youth football but at 20, he looks ready to step up and play at a senior level on a regular basis.

new news : stoke City join race for Chelsea man with Potters and Swansea pushing to sign the player this…

STOke City tojoin race for Chelsea man with Potters and Swansea pushing to sign the player this week

Stoke City have joined the race to sign Chelsea’s Bashir Humphreys, reports Daily Mail.

Humphreys, 20, is attracting widespread from the Championship, with the likes of Birmingham City, Ipswich Town, and Swansea City having all been linked in the past week.

Swansea seem to be the team most keen as things stand; Football Insider claimed last week that the Swans were in advanced talks to sign the defender on loan.

But Daily Mail are now saying that Stoke City are also in the race to sign Humphreys, writing that the Potters and Swansea are ‘pushing to sign him this week’.

The same report adds that Stuttgart are also keen.

Alex Neil’s Stoke have signed 11 new players this summer, making use of the loan market to bring in names like Chiquinho and Ki-Jana Hoever from Wolves, Luke McNally from Burnley, and Mark Travers from Bournemouth.

Luke McNally explains Burnley departure for Stoke City loan as Coventry admission made - LancsLive

What next?

Humphreys looks set to seal a loan exit from Stamford Bridge this month and it’ll give him his first proper taste of first-team football, after several years working his way through the ranks at Chelsea.

A centre-back, Humphreys could be a useful signing for a lot of teams in the league and for Stoke, he’d certainly bring a degree of depth the club with Neil having already signed names like McNally and Michael Rose.

Expect Chelsea to want Humphreys to go to a club where he’ll be playing week in, week out, and whether that will be Stoke remains to be seen.

Swansea City could perhaps be a better fit, but with so many teams now in the race for his signature, where he’ll end up is anyone’s guess.

Stoke return to action v Watford on Saturday, whilst Swansea play Coventry City.