Mark Hughes rebuffs Swansea enquiry for Joe Allen as Stoke boss refuses to allow sale of Welsh midfielder

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Mark Hughes has told Swansea to give up any thoughts of prising Joe Allen away from Stoke after Paul Clement’s side made an enquiry for the midfielder.

Swansea asked Stoke whether a transfer could be possible to bring Allen back to the Liberty Stadium five years after his departure, with Gylfi Sigurdsson expected to join Everton.

But Hughes made clear Stoke would not countenance losing the Wales international, who starred as a No 10 following his £13million move from Liverpool last summer.

Stoke manager Mark Hughes has refused to sanction the sale of midfielder Joe Allen 

The Welsh international was the subject of an enquiry from his former side Swansea

Swansea remained hopeful even after the initial knock-back but the Stoke manager reaffirmed his club’s stance.

Hughes said: ‘They made an enquiry, it wasn’t a bid or a request to buy him, it was: “Would you be willing to allow him to leave? We said, “No”.

‘We rebuffed it, didn’t give any encouragement whatsoever. That is that. Out of respect they came and did that, and we would like to think because of the answer they got they would respect our position.’

Hughes is looking to strengthen his first XI and a £7m deal for Bruno Martins Indi should be completed on Friday, but beyond the 12pm deadline to make the defender available for the open in day game at Everton.

Allen performed impressively for the Potters last season in the No 10 role 

‘It is probably going to be a day too late,’ said Hughes. ‘We are very close, all being well he should be with us today at some point. It has frustrated a lot of people but I don’t anticpate we will have any last minute problems. It is an important signing for us.’

Hughes would also like to bring Fabian Delph to the bet365 Stadium but a potential £12m move has been shelved for the time-being with the Manchester City midfielder understood to have cooled on the switch.

‘We’ve been down a little bit of a road with that one, we have had blocks so to speak, and we just can’t seem to get over them. I’m not sure if that is a viable one for us to be perfectly honest. 

'We will see. Something might happen. But that doesn’t affect out thinking on Joe at all. If players are available who can come into the first XI we would look at that.’

Fabian Delph has cooled his interest in a move to Stoke but Hughes is still hopeful