--- source: thedugout.football generated: 2026-09-21T09:16:23.569Z last_updated: 2026-09-15T13:42:56+00:00 data_provider: API-Football canonical: https://thedugout.football/clubs/stoke-city/news/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3Rva2VzZW50aW5lbC5jby51ay9zcG9ydC9mb290YmFsbC9mb290YmFsbC1uZXdzL3N0b2tlLXNoZWZmaWVsZC11bml0ZWQtZGppYnJpbC1zb3VtYXJlLTExMTU3NDMz --- # Stoke changing room verdict on Djibril Soumare ahead of Sheffield United reunion - **Source:** - **Published:** 15 Sept - **Club:** Stoke City - **Original URL:** https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stoke-sheffield-united-djibril-soumare-11157433 Djibril Soumare is making an impression on and off the pitch as he quickly settles into life at Stoke City ahead of a reunion with Sheffield United. Soumare joined Stoke from Braga in the summer for a fee that could rise to about £3.4m – having spent last season on the fringes on loan at Bramall Lane. The 23-year-old has quickly emerged as one of the first names on the teamsheet under Mark Robins, catching the eye alongside fellow summer recruit Ethan Galbraith in a rejuvenated midfield. He will line up against Sheff Utd in front of the TV cameras in a lunchtime kick-off at the bet365 Stadium on Saturday hoping to make it five unbeaten for the Potters heading into a three-week international break. FOLLOW OUR FACEBOOK PAGE! Latest Stoke City news, analysis and more via the Sentinel Soumare has been a hit with his new teammates as he has settled into life in the Potteries and new centre-half Luke Graham said: “Djib’s been amazing. He’s a brilliant character to have around the dressing room as well as being an absolute unit on the pitch. You know if you can give Djib the ball he’s going to do something with it and try to create. “Him being in front of that back line takes the pressure off us, too. He’s sweeping up all the time and he’s been brilliant.” When it was put to Graham that Soumare seemed quite quiet off the pitch, he said: “Djib? No, he’s mental. He’s off his head. He’s brilliant, a great character to have around.” Stoke had tried to sign Soumare in the summer of 2025 but, at that time, couldn’t compete with the financial package that Sheff Utd offered Braga to get him on loan with potential to trigger a permanent transfer. A delayed visa meaning he missed a proper pre-season, however, and he had only made three appearances by the time Ruben Selles, the manager who took him to South Yorkshire, was sacked and replaced by Chris Wilder. He ended up only completing 90 minutes once – which he has done twice in the last week at Stoke – and he was left out of the squad as it became clear Sheff Utd would not trigger a £7m option. Mark Robins referenced that stamina when he spoke about Soumare’s impact and potential last week. He said: “We’re in a situation with new players coming in that they are at different stages because of the pre-seasons they have had or not had or game time over a number of months or, for Djibril, he played one 90 minutes last season so he’s already done more than he has previously done. “He needs to play those games to really develop and you can see the player he is going to be. That’s the excitement because you look further down the line. Hopefully we can keep him on the pitch because he can keep developing that way.” Soumare was picked out by Stoke legend and pundit Mike Pejic last week too for bringing a new dimension to Stoke’s engine room. Pejic wrote in his column for The Sentinel: “That (3-1-4-2) system against Charlton suited everyone down to earth. Soumare, at the heart of it, showed a reading of the game and defensive situations. He could receive the ball from the back line and from wide areas – he was always available to take the ball and either play a possession pass to keep the game going or to suddenly play a through pass and set the momentum to hurt Charlton. “His quality of passing meant that Justin Devenny and Galbraith could turn and face up to the opposition. You know it’s coming so you can create space to free yourself up. That is a key difference from what we’ve seen at Stoke in recent seasons. Ben Pearson can do a similar job defensively, for example, but he keeps his passes simple. There are no threaded passes, no opening up. You want those passes forward which allow you that split second to turn. If you delay it, that chance goes. “We didn’t see it as much in the second half and I think that’s one of the reasons why Mark Robins got frustrated even in a 4-0 win. We weren’t as quick at playing those threaded passes. It might be because Sam Gallagher came off and he was the player who was looking to get behind the Charlton defence and that has a knock-on effect. He gives you a variety of options that Robins wants to coax out of his other strikers.” Russell Pointon: He looks a very good player with good football intelligence and a very good engine. Links the play. Midfield looking much more balanced on both sides. Rob McKechnie: Got a bit of Nzonzi about him. Good player. Jon Busfield: He's a fabulous signing. Christopher Mandley: Looks good but goes to sleep o 60 minutes. It'll come. Malc James: We are now competing on a level playing field with some of th ebetter Championship teams who have got these types of midfield player. These are the players that can get us into the play-off places. Steven Carter: He settled in just fine. What I also like about him is that he's got a bit of attitutde. Doesn't back down from anything or anyone. Must be made in Stoke. What do you think? 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