Stoke City reportedly wanted to sign James Chester from Aston Villa in the summer transfer window.
According to The Daily Mail, Stoke City were interested in signing Chester from Championship rivals Villa in the summer.
It was reported in July 2018 that the Villans had turned down an offer of £10m from the Potters for the 29-year-old central defender.
The Wales international – joined Villa from West Bromwich Albion in the summer of 2016 for a transfer fee reported by The Daily Mail to be worth £9 million – has revealed that he did not want to leave Villa Park in the summer of 2018.
“I never wanted to leave,” Chester told Sky Sports. “I think the situation the club found itself in was dictating of [a potential move].
“It’s always nice to have interest in you but the most difficult part for me was that I may have had to make a decision I didn’t really want to make. I’ve loved my time at Aston Villa and I wanted that to continue for a lot longer.”
Important player
Chester is one of the best central defenders in the Championship and is a key figure in the current Villa team.
The Welshman will be important to the Villans’ quest to finish in the top six of the Championship this season.
Villa will return to action on Friday evening when they take on Bolton Wanderers at Villa Park in the Championship.
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