Celtic and West Ham United are reportedly set to miss out on a move for Joe Allen with the midfielder set to sign new deal.
Brendan Rodgers’s history of working with Allen at Swansea and Liverpool probably gave the Hoops some confidence that a potential deal could be struck, especially as the Bhoys could offer Champions League football.
West Ham could not offer Allen the chance to play in Europe next season, but The Telegraph has suggested that Manuel Pellegrini’s side were interested in a potential deal following the Potters’ relegation.
However, it now appears that both Celtic and West Ham will be left disappointed as The Telegraph reports that Allen is now ready to commit his future to Gary Rowett’s men by signing a new contract two years after moving to the bet365 Stadium in a £12 million deal.
It is certainly a surprise that Allen looks set to stay with Stoke this summer and help the club make their top flight exile a brief one, and perhaps the decision drops a major hint that Stoke have plans that go beyond simply securing promotion out of the Championship.
The Telegraph suggests that there have been no concrete offers for the Wales international so far, and perhaps Celtic and West Ham will rue not acting sooner if he does put pen to paper on the fresh terms.
Allen may have been relegated, but he has been one of the more consistent performers in the Premier League in recent years and it is difficult to argue that he would not have improved both Celtic’s and West Ham’s midfield had he signed for either. But it appears that their potential chance has gone for the time-being.
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