Stoke are making a sensible decision in building around Joe Allen

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Stoke City reportedly offer Joe Allen a new contract as they prepare to spend nearly £30m on Benik Afobe and Andre Gray.

The Daily Mail reported on Wednesday that Stoke City intend to spend nearly £30m on Benik Afobe and Andre Gray ahead of their push for immediate promotion.

Relegation from the Premier League is a difficult situation for any side, although some handle it much better than others. Newcastle, for instance, rebounded immediately by winning the Championship title, whereas rivals Sunderland have suffered back-to-back relegations.

Stoke spending big is a sign of intent, and financial muscle, that can bring the success they want – but it’s another move they’ve supposedly made that really catches the eye.

The sameDaily Mail report claims a new contract has been handed to midfielder Joe Allen. If true, the Welshman is surely being seen as a player they can build around. It’s difficult to take that news any other way considering the team’s other stars are immediately being linked with moves away and that they are offering him a ‘huge financial incentive’, according to the Mirror.

But Stoke appear to have chosen Allen as the man to keep ahead of the rest – a hell of a coup if they pull it off as the 28-year-old is certainly not short of potential suitors. Allen has been linked with all sorts of teams in the Premier League, as well as Celtic, and even being able to convince him to stay makes the Potters very fortunate.

A very hard working player who can handle any playing style you through at him, Allen’s technical ability and energy makes him ideally suited to run a Championship midfield. He’d comfortably be one of the league’s better players and has a knack for bringing the best out of players around him – if you give him the freedom to.

It won’t be too easy convincing a player who has played top-flight football since 2012 to drop down, but if they do, it could be Stoke’s best deal of the summer.