Niall Ennis made available by Stoke City - but is he the right man for Blackpool

Blackpool have been given the green light to make a move for Niall Ennis this summer - with Stoke City willing to let him go.

The striker enjoyed a productive loan spell at Bloomfield Road during the second half of the most-recent campaign, finding the back of the net seven times in total in 19 League One appearances.

Despite his strong form in Tangerine, the 25-year-old’s parent club are still set to let him depart in the next transfer window according to Stoke on Trent Live.

Opinion: Is Ennis right for Blackpool?

Following the initial story on this, there was a mixed reaction, with some Seasiders fans uncertain on whether the club should make a move.

Like the majority of transfers, the club should only move if the price is right. It’s a big summer rebuild, with investment needed in a number of areas, so balancing the books on fees and wages is important.

There could very well be better deals around for other players in attack, but the perk of getting Ennis back is Blackpool already know what they’re getting from him.

While some online comments were cautious over a permanent deal for the Stoke man, others were delighted by the fact he was available - and that’s no doubt because he can get goals.

It was very rare that Ennis had a particularly explosive game up front for Steve Bruce’s side, and could be quiet for long periods, but he had a knack of scoring.

He would either find himself in the right areas at the right time, or come alive as soon as some space appeared.

While the energy of Kyle Joseph during the first half of the season was a delight to watch, Ennis did the fundamental job of a striker much better.

He did have some games where he was completely absent, and others where he was guilty of not taking some clear opportunities, but on the whole he did deliver.

Whether Blackpool recruit Ennis or someone else, one additional striker isn’t going to be enough, with probably two required in the summer.

Having Ennis to pick from alongside the threat of Ashley Fletcher, the creativity of Tom Bloxham, and another proven goal-scorer is exactly what the Seasiders need.

The club should be looking to get him back, along with a couple of last season’s loanees. There’s going to be a lot of change in the squad, but it’s going to be important to keep the things that worked the same.

Ennis got goals, so it can only go down as a success. The only thing that Blackpool should be mindful about is not getting into a bidding war with anyone else who may come calling.

Blackpool’s stance on Stoke City forward

Bruce has admitted on a number of occasions that he would welcome the forward back to the Fylde Coast on a permanent deal if he was able to.

“He’s done very well Niall, he’s enjoyed his football here,” he said last month.

“We’re delighted with what he’s done for us, so let’s have conversations and see what we can do.

“The move had done him the world of good and put him back in the spotlight, and he’s scored a few goals for us.

“I’d like to keep him if I could, but we’ll see what happens. We’ve got to be mindful of the fact that he belongs to Stoke, so if there’s a deal to be done, let’s see what we can do.

“I think he’s just enjoying it here, but in the next week or so I’ll have a sit down with him to see what his thoughts are, but Stoke are the ones we’ve got to get back first.”

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