The route between Barcelona and Stoke was not a particularly well-trodden one in footballing history; in fact the two could be considered at very different ends of the footballing spectrum.

However, if rumours are to be believed Ibrahim Affellay is set to become the third Barcelona man to make the move to the Potteries in the last three years. Following Bojan and Muniesa’s successful adaptations to life in Stoke, the Dutchman is now the next player to soon be adapting to swirling winds, an obsession with pottery and pre-match meals of Oatcakes (don’t ask).

But moving to Stoke is no longer a particularly puzzling move, they are one of the most upwardly mobile clubs in England and under the stewardship of Mark Hughes, the only way appears to be up.

When Hughes replaced Tony Pulis many predicted that the wheels would come off the Stoke tank, that the battering ram would finally slow down. But since the former Wales manager has taken over he has bought The Potters to new levels, levels not reached in a generation and you have a feeling it may just be the start.

Similarly to Stoke, their manager had a reputation to rebuild, his time as ringmaster at The Queen’s Park Rangers Cir us had seemingly undone the positive work he had carried out in the beginning of his managerial career. To say that his appointment was met with scepticism would be an understatement; he was an underwhelming and potentially risky appointment.

Now two years into the Hughes reign and he has led them to highest ever points tally in the Premier League, their humiliation of Liverpool on the final day condemning Gerrard to one final indignation.

Now with the potential acquisition of Affellay, Stoke continue to move further away from the kind of side that bought so much negativity towards them in their Premier League infancy. No longer hoof ball merchants or bullies, they are as good a side as anyone below the top tier of sides and they will fancy their chances at leading the ‘second tier’ next term.

They consistently spend sensibly, living within their means, a net spend of only £3.5m is remarkably less than their competitors. Gone are the days of big transfer fees for little return they are now run as efficiently off the pitch as they used to be on it.

This season saw surprise packages Southampton and Swansea finish above Stoke and arguably take a large portion of their plaudits, but you just feel that while the two teams mentioned may have reached the peak of their powers, The Potters still have room to improve.

Slowly but surely they are becoming a team that are feared by almost every other one in the league. Not because they are stronger, not because of their ferocious home atmosphere, but because they are good, very good and they may very well gate crash the European places next year.

Watching Stoke dismantle Liverpool, there was only one club that looked capable of mixing it with Europe’s best and it certainly wasn’t the one that spent nearly £100m last summer.

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