Hull City target Sorba Thomas once threw his boots in the bin after brutal West Ham decision

Stoke City winger Sorba Thomas has been the subject of a rejected bid from Premier League outfit Hull City

Stoke City star Sorba Thomas has been the subject of a rejected bid from Premier League newbies Hull City, but the Welsh international could have had a very different career if he hadn't been convinced otherwise.

Hull have seen a bid worth a potential £7 million rejected for Thomas, as per Sky Sports' Rob Dorsett, who enjoyed an excellent personal campaign last season for the Potters, grabbing 21 direct goal contributions in 45 Championship games.

The Tigers' interest was first reported by Alan Nixon via his Patreon, with it since being revealed by Dorsett that Stoke have knocked back a bid worth a potential £7 million for their star winger, with that fee falling well short of their valuation of the 27-year-old.

There is every chance Thomas could be playing Premier League football for the first time in his career this season if a deal between the two clubs can be struck, though his journey to this stage has been far from straightforward.

Sorba Thomas enjoyed an exceptional personal season for Stoke City last time around amid Hull City bid

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Thomas, 27, enjoyed a fruitful campaign on a personal level last time around for Stoke, despite the Potters' struggles in the league.

The 27-capped Welsh international joined Stoke from Huddersfield Town last summer in a deal believed to have been less than £2 million, and proved to be worth every penny.

Thomas scored ten and grabbed 11 assists in 45 Championship games for the Potters, with only a red card suspension preventing him from playing in every game of the season.

Best utilised on the left wing, the 27-year-old is extremely versatile, having played on the right flank, as a right wing-back, and as a right-back on occasion when injury required him to do so.

Thomas directly contributed to over 40 per cent of Stoke's league goals last season, with the attacking onus very much coming through the Welshman out wide, and Hull, following their historic promotion to the top-flight, have made an attempt to lure him to Humberside this summer.

The Tigers opened their Premier League account with a shock 2-0 home win over Manchester United, as Thomas could look forward to days away at Old Trafford and Anfield next season, though one key decision made years ago could've ruled out this possibility entirely.

Sorba Thomas once threw his boots and shinpads in the bin after West Ham United rejection

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As a youth player, Thomas plied his trade in the youth system of West Ham United, having grown up in East London, but was devastated after being released by the Hammers at an early age.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Thomas revealed he almost quit football altogether, even once throwing his boots and shinpads in the bin following West Ham's rejection.

Thomas said: "Growing up I was only ever good at football. It's all I ever wanted. So to be getting told you're not good enough hit me really hard, because I'd never been told that before. When it happened I threw my boots and shin pads in the bin!

"But I spoke to friends and family, and they gave me the confidence to start again, to go to Boreham Wood and to work from the bottom to get to the top."

Indeed, Thomas joined Boreham Wood as a 16-year-old, and worked his way through non-league, working as a scaffolder on the side, before eventually catching the eye of Huddersfield, and, as the saying goes, the rest is history.

West Ham broke his heart as a youngster, and, at the very least, he will be facing his former youth side again this season, or at the most, could even be playing in a division above, with the Welshman having the last laugh.

The Hammers had registered an interest in Thomas earlier on in the window, as now, Hull have gone one step further and made a formal bid for the winger, though FLW's West Ham fan pundit, Ryan Horn, has previously said the addition of the Welshman is 'not ambitious enough.'

Stoke City have rebuffed Hull City's initial offer for Sorba Thomas

With Hull's initial offer being rejected by Stoke, there has been no indication as yet as to whether the Tigers will return with a fresh bid for the Welshman.

Thomas has two years left on his deal in North Staffordshire, and given how late on it is in the window, the Potters will be incredibly reluctant to accept any bid for their star winger.

It would likely take at least a guaranteed eight-figure fee to prise Thomas away from the bet365 Stadium this summer, and whilst Hull can probably afford that sort of money, whether they will be willing to part ways with that sort of money remains to be seen.

Mark Robins cannot afford to lose Sorba Thomas late on in the window with his job firmly on the line

It's two games, two defeats for Stoke to begin their 2026/27 Championship season, with Mark Robins under firm scrutiny from the club's supporters already.

Since the Potters were defeated at home to Coventry City at the beginning of November 2025, they have won just seven of their 34 Championship games since, as only Sheffield Wednesday picked up fewer points than them thereafter.

With Wolverhampton Wanderers away next, it doesn't get any easier for Stoke, and losing Thomas would only hurt their chances further.