Official: Darmstadt sign Stoke City striker Smit

Official: Darmstadt sign Stoke City striker Smit Darmstadt signed Milan Smit on loan from Stoke City as the move was confirmed by both clubs on Friday. The Dutchman only joined the Championship club in January before they signed him permanently last month for €5.5 million. However, the 1.90m-tall striker is on the move once again as he joined Florian Kohfeldt’s side on a one-year loan deal. The former Go Ahead Eagles player scored two goals in 14 appearances for Stoke City. With the departures of Isac Lidberg and Fraser Hornby, Darmstadt focused on strengthening their attacking line this summer. Summer signing Ho-jae Lee scored a brilliant goal on his debut in the comeback draw with Holstein Kiel. “Despite his height (Lee is also 1.92m), his profile is different from the types of strikers we already have in the squad. He has a strong sense of space and has good timing in his deep runs. With his intelligent movements, he often puts himself in promising positions, and he has a good technique and finishing quality," Darmstadt's sporting director Paul Fernie spoke about the new arrival. Smit scored three goals in Go Ahead Eagles’ Europa League debut campaign last term. The 23-year-old helped the club to end a 92-year wait for a major trophy with a Dutch cup triumph the previous season.