Stoke boss Tony Pulis looks set to finally capture the signtaure of striker come winger Jon Walters, two years after he starting chasing the Ipswich man.
Walters was set to sign for the Potters following the clubs promotion to the Premier League in the summer of 2008 but the move was never completed, the Potters being priced out of a deal by the Portman Road clubs asking price of £7m, and he remained an Ipswich player for the last two seasons.
However he is now nearing the end of his Town contract and the club understand he is unwilling to extend his stay as he is desperate to tet himself at the highest level and that means the asking price has come down to a more acceptable £3m.
The Potters are looking for both a right sided midfielder and a target man and the tall, strong Walters is most comfortable in the latter, whilst also having vast experience of playing on the right hand side for Ipswich.
Tony Pulis could possibly see Walters as an upgrade on Richard Cresswell, who played on the left during the clubs promotion season and his role, although a striker, was to play on the left and come inside to get on the end of crosses from Liam Lawrence.
Cresswell got twelve goals that season and Lawrence got 15 assists and with the Potters attacks now mainly flowing through Matthew Etherington on the left the idea could possibly be for him to get balls into the box for the two strikers, and Walters, to capitalise on.