Premier League: Bojan boosts Stoke's best of rest bid

Bojan Krkic has played for four of Europe's most famous clubs

Michael Lintorn thinks the combination of Mark Hughes' savvy management and some inspired additions can steer Stoke to the top eight...

Four successive top-seven finishes by Everton have confirmed the expansion of the Big Six to the Big Seven, with Betfair acknowledging the new order by offering punters the chance to bet on who will be the Premier League winner without those elite teams.

Newcastle are 5.14/1 favourites after some strong transfer work, followed by last season's non-Big-Seven champions Southampton at 6.05/1 and big-spending West Ham, who are 6.611/2 despite rumours that Andy Carroll will be spending another four months out injured.

Newcastle and Southampton's candidacy is called into question by the former's proneness to self-destruction and the latter selling almost all of their 2013/14 stars, so fourth favourites and all-round bastions of dependability Stoke are the most attractive option at 7.26/1.

Mark Hughes has a record for delivering top-half finishes that only the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger can rival. Six full Premier League campaigns as a manager (three for Blackburn, one for Man City, one for Fulham and one for Stoke) have concluded with six top-ten showings.

The Welshman led Blackburn to two top-seven spots in three years compared to just one in the seven years prior and was best of the rest at Fulham in 2010/11, with both of those clubs relegated within four years of his departure.

Hughes guided Stoke to their first ever top-half Premier League finish last term, a feat all the more impressive for the fact that he largely stuck with the unremarkable squad he inherited from Tony Pulis, sticking to minor personnel adjustments while adapting the style.

The waiting game has proven shrewd, allowing him greater funds and gravitas with which to operate this summer, and the Potters' early business indicates that he is using it wisely.

Three Premier League-tested talents have arrived for free. Phil Bardsley was integral to Sunderland's initial hot streak under Gus Poyet, Steve Sidwell top-scored from midfield for relegated Fulham and former Man United forward Mame Biram Diouf averaged over a goal every two Bundesliga starts during his 28 months at Hannover.

The icing on a cake that also features Dionatan Teixeira is the permanent purchase of Barcelona graduate Bojan Krkic, who was once spoken of in similar terms to Lionel Messi.

Though the phrase "unfulfilled potential" is flung about like a rag doll when discussing him, the Spaniard is a mere 23-years-old and has earned moves to Roma, AC Milan and Ajax in the past three seasons, appearing in at least half of the league fixtures for each, so it is far too soon to write him off.