The 2020–21 season was Stoke City's 104th season in the Football League, the 44th in the second tier and seventh in the Championship. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the 2020–21 season began later in September with matches continuing to played behind closed doors. Stoke began the season in good form, winning eight of their first 16 matches and were just outside the play-off places at the beginning of December. However a number of injuries to key players most notably to Tyrese Campbell saw goals dry up and the team went nine games without a win at the turn of the year. Stoke were unable to put a sustained run of results together in March and April and ended the season in mid-table. Pre-season Stoke announced their retained list in July 2020, leaving the club were goalkeeper Adam Federici from the first team, and Jake Dunwoody, James Jennings, Ash Kigbu, Cameron McJannet, Tre Pemberton, Abdul Sankoh, Ollie Shenton and Scott Wara from the under-23 squad. Also leaving were the two players who agreed to temporary contract extensions to cover the final nine games of the 2019–20 season, Mame Biram Diouf and Stephen Ward. O'Neill made his first signing of the summer bringing in former Sheffield Wednesday left-back Morgan Fox. Centre-back James Chester re-joined the club having spent the second half of last season on loan from Aston Villa. Stoke brought in former Sheffield Wednesday striker Steven Fletcher on 14 August. Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel joined the club on 17 August 2020 having left Trabzonspor in March. On 9 September Stoke brought in winger Jacob Brown from Barnsley. The squad returned to Clayton Wood on 7 August and the following week travelled to Belfast for a training camp and a behind closed doors friendly against NIFL Premiership champions Linfield at Windsor Park. Stoke won 1–0 with a first half strike from Josh Tymon. They then played two matches against League One sides, losing 1–0 to Burton Albion and beating Shrewsbury Town 5–1. Stoke ended their pre-season schedule with back-to-back wins over Premier League sides Leeds United and Newcastle United. Championship Because the 2019–20 season was extended into the summer of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020–21 season started at a later date of 12 September 2020 with matches continuing to be played behind-closed doors. The summer transfer window was open from 27 July to 16 October. September