BUSINESS HOTS UP AS ALLEN BIDS FAREWELL
World Cup-bound Wales midfielder calls time on his six-year spell with Stoke
ROMAINE Sawyers and Josh Maja remain on Stoke City’s transfer watchlist as Joe Allen leaves, Benik Afobe heads to Belgium and links emerge with a goalkeeper.
Michael O’neill has overseen a busy week behind the scenes as players return to Clayton Wood for the start of pre-season training, with three arrivals in Aden Flint, Harry Clarke and Josh Laurent.
Mario Vrancic and Alfie Doughty have departed as well as Club Brugge-bound Afobe and Allen, who has decided to embark on a fresh challenge.
Exits and their impact on the available wage budget as well as potential fees for any sales – or a sellon clause being triggered for Nathan Collins – will affect what business O’neill can do next.
Speculation has cranked up and Stoke have been mentioned as a potential destination for Zander Clarke, who turns 30 tomorrow and is leaving St Johnstone.
He has established himself as one of the most reliable keepers in Scotland in recent years and won an international call-up last season. Reading midfielder Andy Rinomhota, aged 25, is not on Stoke’s agenda, however, despite reports to the contrary.
Sawyers, aged 30, is a free agent after being released by West Bromwich Albion after a season-long loan at Stoke.
He made 29 appearances in all but missed a chunk of the winter due to a quad injury.
Maja, aged 23, is expected to move after Bordeaux were relegated to the French third tier for financial breaches. He showed glimpses of what he could offer when fit and up to speed during half-a-season on loan in the Potteries.
O’neill said: “There is always opinion about how players have done during their period at the club when you bring a loan player in. The benefit of doing it is that you know the individual and that gives us comfort, I think, if we were to do that.
“But we’re not in a situation where we’re able to do that just at the minute.
“We have to look at the situation around players leaving before we can determine what level we can add, which is going to be driven by finance, and what type of player we need at that point in time.
“So both players are very much in our thoughts but at this minute in time we’re probably not in a position to say they’re going to be in the building next week.”
Afobe has landed a two-year deal at Club Brugge, managed by Carl Hoefkens and preparing for a campaign in the Champions League.
The 29-year-old striker had 12 months left on his contract at Stoke but has not played a league game for the club since 2019, instead having loans at Bristol City, Trabzonspor and Millwall.
Stoke had been in ongoing talks with Allen, aged 32, about extending his stay but, after six years at the club, he believes the time is right to move on.
He has helped Wales qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1958 and his family is based in South Wales. First club Swansea have made their interest public.
Stoke have wished their captain well and an exit now gives O’neill chance to plan his squad – including bringing in another midfielder – with more certainty.
Lewis Baker, who has signed a new contract that removes the buy-out clause that was written in when he joined from Chelsea in January, is the early favourite to inherit the armband.