Stoke City chairman Peter Coates has played down the reports linking goalkeeper Asmir Begovic with a move away from the club.
The Bosnian’s future has been grabbing headlines for over a year now as the in-form shot-stopper has become one of the most consistent players in the Premier League, and now it is Manchester City that are reportedly interested in signing the 26-year-old.
Despite the heavy reports and rumours, Stoke have so far managed to hold on to their star-man, but with another transfer window looming, more speculation is heating up with Manuel Pellegrini ready to make a big to make the Bosnian his new number-one.
However, Coates has revealed that all the City talk is just gossip and he doesn’t want the rumours to alarm Stoke fans.
He told The Sentinel: “This latest story was certainly news to me and I suspect it is just a bit of speculation. That’s my guess, anyway, and we have certainly had no approach.
“He is a top goalkeeper, so this kind of thing is going to happen. We are just concerned that he concentrates on playing for us and doing what he has been doing up to now.
“It is important we keep him for the rest of the season. It is an important season and he is a key player. He certainly hasn’t made any noises.”
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt – @AlexsArticles
