Stoke City have confirmed via their official website that defender Moritz Bauer has left the club and will join FC Ufa in the Russian Premier League on a permanent basis.
Stoke City are preparing themselves for several exits this summer. Despite announcing their retained list, there are other players that they are expected to lose between now and the commencement of the up and coming Championship campaign.
Manager Michael O’Neill had suggested that the players that spent last season out on loan are surplus to requirements at the Bet365 stadium and Moritz Bauer’s exit may start a mass exodus.
Bauer signed for Stoke from Rubin Kazan in Russia back in January 2018 when the Potters were plying their trade in the Premier League. The right-back joined on a four-and-a-half year contract for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £5 million.
However, following their relegation down to the Championship, Bauer played just eight times before being shipped out on the first of two loan deals.
He joined Celtic for the duration of the 2019/20 campaign, with an option for the Hoops to sign the six-time Austria international on a permanent basis if they so wished. However, he struggled to establish himself at Celtic Park and played just 13 times across all competitions.
Bauer returned to Stoke but was left out of O’Neill’s plans. He secured a loan move to FC Ufa back in Russia in February 2021 where he spent the latter half of last season. He has now made that move permanent and will join his new side officially from tomorrow.