Stoke legend Smith excited ahead of possible Berahino deal

Stoke City legend Denis Smith has urged the club to sign striker Saido Berahino this month, but remains cautious over his apparent attitude problem.

The West Brom forward has caused plenty of trouble at the Hawthorns since the Baggies knocked back a £21m offer from Spurs two years ago, by falling out with former chairman Jeremy Peace and stating he would not play for the club again.

The 23-year-old has featured this season but has not scored in five appearances and, with his contract up in the summer and West Brom likely to see him leave for a vastly reduced fee than the one Spurs were initially offering, reports suggest Stoke could pounce this month.

A regular scorer up front has been tough for Stoke to find – with Mame Diouf, Joselu and Wilfried Bony failing to impress in the last two years – while the likes of Peter Crouch and Jonathan Walters have been brought back into the first-team fold.

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And Smith, who played over 400 games for the Potters and was part of the side which won the 1972 League Cup, believes Berahino would fit right in at the bet365 Stadium.

“Can the lad play? Yes. Can he score goals? Yes. What I like about him is the fact he’s got a small backlift and so he hits the ball early,” he said.

“He also tends to hit the target and he’s quick across the ground, not unlike Jermain Defoe at Sunderland.

“So the lad has got a lot going for him and that’s why Stoke are interested. But, there is obviously a but with him.”