Stoke City have completed the signing of Northern Ireland international Justin Devenny from Crystal Palace for a reported £5 million on transfer deadline day. The 22-year-old midfielder has signed a four-year contract with the Championship club, as confirmed by the Belfast News Letter.
Devenny arrives at a Stoke side currently sitting 21st in the Championship table with three points from four matches. Their recent form reads WLLL, having scored four goals while conceding nine for a negative five goal difference. The club are seven points behind league leaders Swansea City as they prepare for their next fixture against second-placed Charlton Athletic at home on September 5th.
Justin Devenny brings significant experience for a player of his age. Stoke's Sporting Director Jon Walters highlighted this when discussing the signing. "Justin is a player who has made 60 appearances during the past two seasons in and around the Premier League and European football, as well as representing his national team," Walters said.
Despite his youth, Devenny has been involved in major occasions. He was an unused substitute in Crystal Palace's 2025 FA Cup final victory over Manchester City. He also scored the decisive penalty in the 2025 Community Shield shoot-out victory against Liverpool. During Palace's run to the Conference League title last season, Devenny made six appearances.
Devenny becomes the tenth new signing for Stoke City over the summer transfer window. This follows other significant moves involving players connected to the club. Shea Charles broke the transfer fee record with his move to Fulham from Southampton. Pierce Charles joined Manchester City before being loaned to Queens Park Rangers.
Another notable arrival was Galbraith, who made an eight-figure switch to Stoke from Swansea City. Galbraith has already made an impact, scoring the winner in Stoke's 1-0 league win over Norwich City.
The player himself has outlined clear goals following his move. "A big part of the reason for me joining is that the ambitions of the Club match mine, and that’s to ultimately get back into the Premier League," Devenny said.
This ambition comes despite a challenging start to the season for Stoke, who find themselves in the lower reaches of the standings. Devenny had not featured in Palace's Premier League matchday squads at the start of this season, making his search for regular football a driving factor in the move.
At international level, Devenny has established himself as a regular for Northern Ireland. He featured in five of their six World Cup qualifying group matches last year. The midfielder also started in a play-off semi-final loss to Italy back in March.
His experience in high-pressure international fixtures could prove valuable for Stoke as they look to climb the Championship table. Justin Devenny has committed his future to Stoke City until the summer of 2030.
