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          Ramadan Sobhi and Joe Allen join as part of Stoke's push for top six

          • James Whittaker
          Jul 26, 2016, 08:43 AM

          While Stoke's players were acclimatising to their preseason surroundings in Orlando on Monday, two new faces were being pencilled in to join them as the club confirmed the signings of internationals Ramadan Sobhi and Joe Allen.

          With the fans growing anxious over the club's lack of activity in the transfer market, the mood has been lifted with a quick-fire double signing that has injected some renewed enthusiasm ahead of the 2016-17 season.

          Wonder kid Sobhi joins for a fee that could rise to £6 million from Egyptian champions Al Ahly and in doing so becomes the league's most expensive export of all time which at just 19 is a telling indicator of his talent. He's a player many won't have heard of but he arrives with six international caps to his name and a fervent following from his home country.

          Stoke stole a march on those tracking him by putting their faith in a talent dubbed "the Egyptian Messi" with a sizeable fee to secure his signature ahead of others.

          He is a player who can't be accused of lacking self-confidence and his recent statement about wanting to be one of the best in the world would appear to have the backing of one or two names that Stoke fans will have heard of; his previous manager Martin Jol and one-time Tottenham striker Mido.

          Indeed, such is Jol's confidence in his former player's ability that he has already contacted Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho to advise him to keep an eye on a player he believes is capable of realising those lofty ambitions.

          Mido was able to provide a bit more insight into the specifics of what Stoke fans might expect from the teenager:

          He said: "For me, he is the best young player I've seen in years. He has everything, he's strong and his technical ability is amazing. He's clever, he's comfortable in one-on-one situations and he can assist and score goals as well. But the most important thing for me is he has the character, he has a big personality and is not scared of big occasions."

          Platitudes and YouTube montages aside, though, at this stage it is unknown how well he will adapt to the most unforgiving of leagues and whether his chance will come sooner or later amid the ongoing uncertainty over Marko Arnautovic's future.

          Allen, however, is expected to walk straight into the starting XI. The Welsh international makes the short trip down from Liverpool for an initial fee of £13m on a five-year deal and will likely line up alongside record £18m signing Giannelli Imbula in the middle of the park to bring some graft to his colleague's craft.

          Allen's work rate isn't necessarily his greatest asset, though, and the similarities to the man he's so often compared to -- Andrea Pirlo -- don't end with his flowing locks and impressive beard. He has forged a reputation as a technically gifted midfielder who can orchestrate proceedings from the middle third of the pitch with the kind of ease showcased by his Italian counterpart.

          He joins off the back of a most impressive European Championship too, one where he made the team of the tournament having played a key role in Wales' run to the semifinals. He played like a man with a point to prove and while Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was out making signings for his midfield, the popular opinion from the stands of Anfield was that in Allen they already had a player worthy of a more meaningful role.

          Klopp's loss is Hughes' gain and in Allen he now has a player who will add genuine ability to the midfield of a side who want to improve on three successive ninth place finishes in the league.

          With aspirations of a meaningful push on the top six this season, the manager has made a good start to his summer recruitment but if he is to make those dreams a reality he will need to bring one or two more of similar quality elsewhere on the pitch.