The manager remained mum on rumours of the Potters vying for former Arsenal and Manchester United striker Robin van Persie, who now plays for Fenerbahce, but sources at Sky Sports understand that a £20m bid has been made for the West Brom man. It would appear however, that Stoke boss Mark Hughes has made the first move.
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Stoke have hit brick walls on more than one occasion in their efforts to sign West Brom striker Saido Berahino.
Meanwhile, Berahino is catching form in the pre-season, scoring two goals in a friendly against Kidderminster on Saturday.
Last summer, Berahino threatened to “never play [for owner Jeremy] Peace” again after a move to Tottenham broke down.
After the summer recruitment a year ago of striker Salomon Rondon, Berahino was left of the sidelines for the most part, with Pulis’ penchant for a lone striker ahead of a midfield five.
Stoke along with Crystal Palace have been monitoring Berahino’s situation at the Hawthorns since the end of last season.
Nothing new there, Berahino has been looking to leave for the last twelve months – but his contract is due to expire in the summer, and he has already rejected the offer of a new deal.
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But Hughes is optimistic his lengthy pursuit of the 22-year-old will be successful as Stoke prepare to beat the £18.3m record transfer fee they paid for midfielder Giannelli Imbula in January. He finishes, “But we’re still hopeful on them”.
