Stoke City are ready for a frantic end to the summer window, and as Mark Robins prepares his players for their home game against Norwich City on Tuesday night, it appears that they will be missing their star player, Sorba Thomas.

According to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook via X, Stoke winger Thomas is poised to miss the Potters’ home game against Norwich on Tuesday evening due to continued interest from Premier League side Hull City, with Mark Robins describing the Welshman’s absence as a “club decision.”

The Tigers have been targeting the Welsh international over the past couple of weeks, with Sergej Jakirovic’s side ready to add the 27-year-old to their attacking ranks before 11pm tonight, as Thomas has taken matters into his own hands.

Sorba Thomas is poised to miss Stoke City’s home encounter with Norwich City amid Hull City transfer rumours.

Thomas has been Stoke’s outstanding forward since joining from Huddersfield Town last summer for a fee thought to be less than £2 million, scoring ten goals and providing 11 assists in the Championship in his first year in the Potteries.

Under contract until the summer of 2028, interest in the winger was always going to be high this summer, but as deadline day approaches, he remains a Stoke player; perhaps not for long.

On Monday, Sky Sports’ Rob Dorsett reported that Stoke have accepted Hull’s offer of £10 million for Thomas, but are only willing to part ways provided they find a replacement first.

New developments appear to be at play, and with sources close to Thomas allegedly dismissing any notion that the talented winger is refusing to put on the red and white, Potters fans will be chewing their nails as this saga plays out till 11 p.m.

Why losing Sorba Thomas will be a significant loss for Stoke City amid Hull City bid

Thomas’ 21 direct goal contributions last season were by far the most in Stoke’s team, and the most any player has scored for the club since their relegation to the Championship in 2018.

Last season, the Welshman directly contributed to more than 40% of Stoke’s Championship goals, trailing just Zan Vipotnik and Oli McBurnie in goal contributions.

With Mark Robins’ side having only recruited George Hirst to their forward lineup this summer, losing Thomas would be a significant blow to the club, which is now at the bottom of the Championship.

With only hours to the deadline, Stoke will have little time to replace their star forward if he leaves for the top division.

Mark Robins has a huge decision to make regarding Sorba Thomas’ future

With the clock ticking, time is running out to finish Thomas’s transaction.

There will undoubtedly be dissatisfaction on both sides that this tale has reached its conclusion, as Robins now faces a difficult decision.

Accepting the Welshman’s exit leaves Stoke significantly weaker in the forward line than they were before, and relying on a replacement to replicate his production is not ideal.

However, maintaining a player who may no longer want to be at the club benefits no one, as Robins faces a daunting problem in managing this scenario as best he can.