Bigger Clubs Who Might Be Tempted by Bojan Krkic's Return to Form

One of the more eyebrow-raising transfers of the summer window was that of Stoke City signing former Barcelona prodigy Bojan Krkic, with the one-cap starlet falling severely off the radar after failed spells at Roma, AC Milan and Ajax.

Regular game time, a manager who believes in him and a role in the team that makes use of his talents have all combined to see a return to form for the 24-year-old. Sense and wisdom would dictate that, finding a team that appreciates what he can offer, Bojan might be well served by staying put—but it's a footballing inevitability that bigger sides come sniffing when an individual performs well.

Both inside the Premier League—where many expected he might flop further—and out, there are a number of sides who play with a style and formation that could suit Bojan, if he does indeed continue to progress and opt to look back toward the top teams.

Bojan Style

Never the quickest over a long distance, Bojan's ability to get off the mark quickly and escape attentions of markers stems from both his intelligent use of space and relatively good acceleration—he gets those first few steps over and done with before his opponent, giving him a metre or two in which to operate.

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Of course, in his youth days with Barcelona, Bojan was noted as a great scorer of goals and a tremendous poacher, but his role at Stoke shows an evolution from this. He most frequently plays as a No. 10, just off a main striker he can link up with—and also keep defences pinned back as far as possible, opening up gaps for Bojan to dart into and exploit.

From around the 25-metre mark, Bojan has shown a propensity to deliver low, fizzing shots as he moves centrally and runs at the defence. This, along with his keen eye for a pass and ability to beat a man, has made him an exciting addition to Stoke, with many teams struggling to contain his movement into the channels.

Another overlooked but imperative part of his game is his work rate. Bojan hounds and snaps at the heels of full-backs, closing them down and making blocks to help his team keep the ball as far up the pitch as possible, and he tracks back diligently.

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Consistency may still be an issue—after all, it has only been 22 league games, and he hasn't impressed in every one by any means—but by and large, his minutes on the field have been well-deserved and exciting.

Premier League

Within England's top flight, Stoke can reasonably hope for a top-10 finish—they currently sit 10th, with a bit of a gap back to 12th, so further progression remains possible. 

Presuming any purchasing club might want Bojan to continue a creative, free-roaming role behind a forward and not play as an out-and-out striker or be perennially stuck out on the wing, where he was too often played in Italy, there are limited options.

Swansea City play with a No. 10 in Gylfi Sigurdsson, but he has been their standout player so far and unlikely to be moved, especially with Wilfried Bony gone. Further above, game time would be scarce at Manchester United, as they have the likes of Juan Mata, Angel Di Maria and Wayne Rooney to fit in.

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It would likely be the Champions League-chasing trio of Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool where Bojan would fit in tactically; you could envisage him, for example, playing off the muscular and in-form Harry Kane at Spurs or as one of Liverpool's two 10s behind the striker in their 3-4-2-1.

Numbers of personnel may be an issue, though, unless Spurs can offload one of their two misfiring, overpaid strikers or Liverpool see Bojan as an upgrade on Adam Lallana or Lazar Markovic.

Further Afield

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Outside of England, it would be interesting to see whether Bojan would consider a return to Serie A, where he barely had a chance to play and was cast aside by two big clubs.

Juventus are probably a step above his next move, but their diamond alignment in midfield under Massimiliano Allegri might actually suit Bojan perfectly, and he has more miles left on his clock than Wesley Sneijder.

Back in La Liga, Valencia are rebuilding and operate with a 10 at times, but a high-profile move back "home" would be testing not only Bojan's rejuvenated form but also his mental spirit. This is a player who cried off being part of a European Championship-winning Spain squad at the age of 17 to rest over a summer; that was in the name of protection for his future career, but things haven't worked out for him in his home country since.

Being one of the two forwards at Villarreal would suit him, as would playing off Carlos Bacca at Sevilla. If he really wanted to push for a big-club move, he could play behind the forward at Atletico Madrid.

Before any of that becomes even remotely plausible, though, Bojan needs to show he can have more than a few months of good form for Stoke City. Where form and goals flow, transfer interest will inevitably follow. If the forward's dream is to once again play for a big club, either in England or Spain, all he needs do is continue to show he can cut it at Stoke on a regular basis and let the natural course of events take care of the rest.

Follow @karlmatchett