Stoke manager Mark Hughes has guided his side to the top half of the Premier League but is still keen to improve his attacking force.
He is chasing the Hannover and former manchester United striker Mame Biram Diouf who is reportedly going to cost around the region of £6m. Stoke’s chairman Peter Coates says there is avaliable cash for Hughes to spend so it is likely they will bring in a new striker by next season.
The other player under Hughes’ radar is Wolfsburg’s Ivica Olic who, like Diouf, is out of a contract in the summer. Hughes belives he can bring the Bundesliga pair to the Britannia although he has also made it very clear that he is not looking for squad players. He will only bring players in who can do a short term move, which may see Olic, who is already 34, only being offered a short term contract.
Stoke missed out on signing Diouf in the summer as problems arose with asking price, and it has been frustrating for Hughes in terms of bringing players in. The Stoke boss also wanted to sign New England and US international striker Juan Agudelo but he was refused a work permit.
There were rumours of Crouch’s departure for a reported £2.5m in order to fund his January targets, but after their game with Aston Villa on Saturday (in which Crouch scored the winner) Hughes insisted: “Peter’s going nowhere”.
By Phil Wellbrook
