As the first reports emerged earlier this year linking Nathan Collins with a big-money move to the Premier League, Stoke City legend Lou Macari didn’t miss an opportunity to make his feelings known.
The Potters, he said, should demand a fee of £20 million – minimum – for a fresh-faced centre-back who became the youngest captain in the club’s history in 2019.
And, as we hurtle head-first into the summer transfer window, the early signs suggest it will take a sizeable fee to lure Collins away from Stoke, even if it’s not quite the £20 million-plus Macari was demanding.
The Star (6 June, page 43) reports Leicester City and Arsenal are going head to head for Collins’ signature.
Leicester and Arsenal battle to sign Stoke City’s Collins
The Republic of Ireland U21 international is expected to cost a fee in the region of £15 million and, having seemingly fought off competition from Arsenal for Odsonne Edouard, you can expect a meltdown in one corner of the English capital if another of Britain’s most exciting, up-and-coming talents heads to the King Power instead of the Emirates.
Collins still has three years left on his contract, meaning Stoke won’t be railroaded into a sale.
But, after Michael O’Neill’s side finished closer to the relegation zone than the top six last season, Collins may feel a move away is his only route into the promised land of the Premier League.
In March, Stoke City posted losses of £87.2 million for 2019/20, so the Potters may also expect some tough negotiations as it becomes obvious the club needs to sell to balance the books.
Here’s what some Stoke City fans on Twitter had to say about the transfer rumours:
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