Stoke boss Mark Hughes hoping to complete £7m deal for Porto defender Bruno Martins Indi before weekend
Frustrated Potters to finally get centre-back on the books full-time after he spent last season on loan at bet365 Stadium
Sponsored by
STOKE City boss Mark Hughes expects to seal a £7million permanent move for defender Bruno Martins Indi today.
But the deal is unlikely to be completed in time for the Dutchman to play at Everton on Saturday.
Martins Indi was on loan at the bet365 Stadium last season from Porto and Hughes had cash ring fenced to bring him to the Potteries for keeps.
NOT PICKED YOUR FANTASY FOOTBALL TEAM YET? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
But Porto then upped the price, forcing Stoke into talks which lasted throughout the summer.
Martins Indi, 25, always wanted to return to the Potters, though, despite some interest from Crystal Palace.
The central defender, who played in every game during his time at Stoke, was undergoing a medical today with the move set to be confirmed later.
Hughes said: “We’re very close, all being well he should be with us today at some point.
“Hopefully we’ll get that done. It’s frustrated a lot of people but it’s likely to get done.
“I don’t anticipate we will have any last minute problems. He is an important signing for us.
PREMIER LEAGUE TRANSFER NEWS
"It’s probably going to be a day too late for Everton.”
Hughes has told Swansea City that midfielder Joe Allen is not for sale.
Allen moved to the Potteries a year ago from Liverpool in a £13m deal after Stoke beat the Swans to the Wales star.
Now Swansea boss Paul Clement is interested in taking Allen back to the club where he made his name.
And there are suggestions they may return with a bid.
But Hughes said: “They made an inquiry, it wasn’t a bid or a request to buy him.
“Would we be willing to allow him to leave? We said 'no'.
"Out of respect that they came and did that, we’d like to think because of the answer they got they’d respect our position.”
Hughes said that Stoke’s move for Manchester City midfielder Fabian Delph is proving difficult to get over the line.
Sparky added: “We’ve been down a little bit of a road with that one, we’ve had blocks to the road 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’ll see. Something might happen.
"But that doesn’t affect out thinking on Joe at all. “
Have you signed up to play fantasy football yet?
If the answer is no you need to take a long, hard look at yourself.
Because the Dream Team game – the UK’s biggest fantasy football game – is back and better than ever this season.
You’ve got a £50m budget to pick 11 players, with all the biggest new signings ready and raring to go ahead of a mouthwatering new Premier League campaign.
So what are you waiting for? Sign up to play now!
