Former Man United 'generational talent' Nick Powell is without a club after being released by Stoke City

Former Manchester United forward Nick Powell is now a without a club after being released by Championship outfit Stoke City.

The 29-year-old scored four goals in 25 league appearances this term which proved insufficient for the Potters to offer him a new contract after finishing 16th in the second tier.

United signed the then-18-year-old from Crewe Alexandra for £6million in 2012 with Sir Alex Ferguson still manager. However, Powell would go on to make just nine appearances for the Red Devils' first team.

Loan spells at Wigan Athletic, Leicester City and Hull City eventually led to Wigan signing the attacking midfielder on a free transfer in 2016 where he spent three seasons before joining Stoke in 2019.

Whilst at the Bet 365 Stadium, the 29-year-old made 119 appearances, scoring 28 goals in the process but now finds himself without a club.

Alongside Powell, former Everton and England defender Phil Jagielka has been released as well as Morgan Fox, Aden Flint, Demeaco Duhaney, Sam Clucas and Tashan Oakley Boothe.

The Potters are looking to orchestrate a rebuild with the club's technical director, Ricky Martin, saying: "It is well documented that we are looking to execute a significant reset within our squad ahead of the new season.

"The result of players leaving the club is that it provides additional scope for us to recruit in the transfer market, as we look to put building blocks in place that help us progress towards a successful future."

Stoke are yet to finish in the top half of the Championship since their relegation from the Premier League in 2018 and are clearly in need of a reshape with Powell one of the victims.

PA Images

It is also understood that the Englishman was on a significant salary for second tier standards, especially for a mid table outfit such as Stoke. This could prove to be an issue in Powell's pursuit of a new employer.

As of yet, there are no whispers as to where the attacking midfielder could end up next but the future certainly doesn't look bright for the ex-Manchester United player who was once touted as a 'generational talent'.

Topics: Manchester United, Premier League, Football, EFL Championship

Dan Hargraves

Dan is a freelance sports journalist currently in his final year studying Football Journalism at the University of Derby. Currently working for SPORTBible and Reach PLC, he has also worked for Snack Media amongst others. His proudest work thus far came at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games where he was a live blogger for the Commonwealth Games Federation, providing sports coverage on the tournament's official website to over a billion people.

@danjhargraves