Stoke City are closing on Standard Liege starlet Thibaut Verlinden . The 15-year-old midfielder is a highly regarded member of Belgium 's U16 squad and has had trials with Liverpool and Everton . Club Brugge and Anderlecht have also expressed an interest but Verlinden , whose father Dany used to be a goalkeeper , is poised to sign on July 9 when he turns 16 . Thibaut Verlinden ( right ) , in action for Belgium against England U16s , looks to be joining Stoke City . Stoke manager Mark Hughes has also persuaded Barcelona 's 19-year-old winger Mohamed El Ouriachi to join this summer . Hughes said : 'We are trying to improve the quality of the under-21s to get more young players knocking on the door of the first-team squad . That 's our intention . ' Stoke retain an interest in Sunderland 's Lee Cattermole whose contract talks have been put on hold until their Premier League fate is resolved . Mohamed El Ouriachi competes for the ball for Barcelona , and is set to join Stoke this summer .
Belgian year - old boy has undergone trials at Liverpool and Everton . Thibaut Verlinden will join them when he turns 16 in July . ben Hughes will also sign Moha ##el Ouriachi from Barcelona this summer .