Under Ricky Martin, Stoke has made several very odd acquisitions; nevertheless, Jojic could be the most unusual.
After finishing in the bottom half of the table each season following their relegation from the Premier League in 2018, the Potters are now participating in the Championship for the sixth time in their history.
For a considerable amount of time, the Staffordshire team has appeared disorganised from the outside, having spent a lot of money on transfers in an effort to get back into the top division.
However, most of the players they have purchased throughout that period have fallen short of the expectations.
Nikola Jojic is one of such people.
The 20-year-old Jojic is most effective while playing on the right flank, but he can also play as an attacking midfielder or on either wing.
He was playing in the Serbian premier league for Mladost Lucuni, his native team.
Lucuni finished in the bottom half of the table in the 22–23 season, but after making a breakthrough in the 21–22 campaign with two goals in five league games, he would establish himself as a regular in the 22–23 campaign, scoring eight goals in 38 league games at the age of 19.
Stoke saw enough to sign Jojic for an estimated €1.4 million, which was a hefty price to pay for such a significant risk.
Jojic was one of five players Stoke recruited who weren’t from the UK or Ireland during their intensive summertime examination of the European market.
Ryan Mmaee arrived from Hungary’s Ferencvaros; Andre Vidigal from Portugal’s Maritimo; Mehdi Leris from Sampdoria in Italy; and Wouter Burger from Basel.
The players Stoke were signing were talented players, and it looked like they would be a real force under Alex Neil, finally, after five years of languishing in the bottom half of the table.
Jojic looked like a player that could become a regular starter by the end of the season, starting on more of a rotational basis. Naturally, it would take him time to adjust to life in England, having moved from Serbia at a young age.
For Jojic, however, it has been far from that.
This season, he has only made two appearances for the first team. With 17 minutes remaining in the cup, he came off the bench to make his debut in a 6-1 victory over Rotherham United at the end of August.
Four days later, the Serbian made his league debut against Neil’s old team, Preston North End, entering the game with one minute remaining.
However, he has hardly been seen since, appearing in a match day squad only eight times in total.
Jojic would obviously have to start over and convince the new manager, Steven Schumacher of Plymouth Argyle, when Neil was fired in mid-December.
However, nothing has changed. The fact that Stoke currently appears disorganised both on and off the pitch does not help either.
Rumour has it that the club is already considering ways to fire Schumacher, only two months after his hiring. Gareth Ainsworth is reportedly being considered.
Ricky Martin, the technical director, was also fired after making poor acquisitions every year for hefty transfer fees and salaries.
Jojic might fit that description, albeit without any fault of his own, according to some.
He has received no opportunity whatsoever, and the current arrangement, akin to the club, appears incredibly peculiar.
