Stoke City win the race for Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi

The Crystal Palace winger spent the first half of the 2025/26 season on loan at Turkish side Çaykur Rizespor, following a previous loan spell at Sheffield United under Chris Wilder during the 2024/25 campaign. While in Turkey, he scored four goals and provided one assist in 13 appearances. Earlier in the transfer window, Coventry City and Swansea City both showed interest amid speculation of a return to Selhurst Park.
This move would mark Rak-Sakyi’s third loan spell within the EFL. He previously enjoyed a productive 2022/23 season at Charlton Athletic, where he scored 15 goals and added nine assists across 49 matches. However, Stoke City have been the most persistent suitors for several weeks. Their push is largely due to the heavy workload shouldered by their current wide options.
Mark Robins already has Sorba Thomas and Million Manhoef as first-choice wingers, with Jun-ho Bae and Lamine Cissé also capable of playing out wide, but the lack of depth has been a concern given the minutes played. Rak-Sakyi’s wages are not expected to pose a problem, as the 23-year-old signed a five-year contract with Palace in 2022, and any loan would only run until the end of the season.
Although the transfer situation has seen several twists, Pete O’Rourke reported two weeks ago that Stoke were Rak-Sakyi’s preferred destination. Stoke, who have consistently sat between first and 10th place throughout the campaign, are pushing for promotion and believe the winger could provide a crucial lift.
According to Darren Witcoop, Stoke have now won the race on deadline day, beating competition that included Celtic. Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph also highlighted the level of interest, noting there is no option or obligation to buy, despite attention from clubs such as Celtic, Monaco, Lille, Swansea City, and Millwall.