Stoke City have undergone another excellent start to the Championship season, as Mark Robins will be hoping his side can maintain this form throughout the course of the campaign this time around.

Stoke are one of the most in-form teams in the entire Championship right now, losing just one of their last eight league games and winning six, thrusting themselves into play-off contention early on.

The Potters started last season in excellent form as well, before a 1-0 home defeat to Coventry City saw their form drop off a cliff, as this time around, Robins will hope to avoid a similar fate.

The former Coventry City boss has now had two summer windows at the helm to stamp his authority on the squad, as it was another busy few months in the Potteries over the offseason.

Stoke enjoyed another busy summer transfer window

Heading into the final day of the transfer window, Stoke had avoided losing any of their key assets from the year prior aside from the loan spell of Ashley Phillips, with only Lewis Baker, Tatsuki Seko, and Steven Nzonzi the three other notable departures.

However, a bid arrived late on for star winger Sorba Thomas from Premier League outfit Hull City, as the Welshman headed to Humberside in a £10.5 million deal.

The Potters have already completed the additions of the likes of Ethan Galbraith, Djibril Soumare, George Hirst, and Luke Graham, but with this late influx of money, they added each of Justin Devenny, Jack McGlynn, and Luca Bombino to their ranks.

Stoke City copied Middlesbrough’s trick by signing Jack McGlynn and Luca Bombino from the MLS

McGlynn, 23, made the move to North Staffordshire in a deal worth around $5.5 million (£4.1 million), including add-ons, from MLS outfit Houston Dynamo, having shone in Texas for the previous couple of years, and earned 13 caps for the USMNT.

Meanwhile, Bombino, 20, arrived from Californian-based outfit San Diego for around $5 million (£3.7 million), having cemented himself as one of the brightest up-and-coming talents in the MLS over the past couple of years.

Stoke have rarely explored the North American market, as you’d have to go back over a decade to Geoff Cameron’s addition to find a direct transfer from the MLS, as Stoke have picked up on Middlesbrough’s tactic by following suit.

Boro have signed the likes of Aidan Morris, Sebastian Berhalter, and Max Arfsten from the United States in recent years, whilst young American Rokas Pukstas joined from Hajduk Split over the summer, as the Potters are looking to join the bandwagon with their Championship counterparts.

Jack McGlynn and Luca Bombino look like solid additions for Stoke City already

Although they have barely been in the country for a couple of months, McGlynn and Bombino already look at home in Staffordshire.

The Potters have switched to a 3-4-2-1 shape following the departure of Thomas to Hull, with McGlynn seamlessly slotting in to one of the attacking midfield roles, grabbing two goals and one assist in his first seven Championship games, including two wonderful strikes against Watford and Sheffield United.

Bombino has yet to nail down a consistent place in the side, with the left wing-back a victim of Eric Bocat’s excellent performances in that area of the pitch, but has managed to make seven appearances despite this.

Both are young and have ample time to improve; as though neither arrived for pennies, they have the potential to make the Potters a serious profit in years to come, and could be worth their weight in gold if they can help to guide the club back to the Premier League.

What have you made of Jack McGlynn and Luca Bombino so far? Can Stoke successfully follow in the footsteps of Middlesbrough? Share your thoughts below!

Mark Robins will be hoping Middlesbrough trick pays dividends at Stoke City

Middlesbrough have certainly found success in the addition of Morris, with the American now into his third season on Teesside, having gone from strength to strength.

Berhalter was already a regular in the USMNT squad before his move from Vancouver Whitecaps, and for a minimal fee, it would be a surprise if Boro don’t make him look like a bargain.

Arfsten, too, already has 21 caps to his name at 25, as Boro were the pioneers of the American market, with Stoke now looking to follow in their footsteps.