Torino are reportedly eyeing up a fresh move for Stoke City flop Giannelli Imbula, but they should try to land Marco Benassi as part of the deal.
Torino are ready to reignite their interest this in Stoke City midfielder Giannelli Imbula this summer. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Turin club will bid again for Giannelli Imbula this summer.
The Serie A side failed in their bid to sign Imbula back in January. Torino’s bid was an initial loan with an €11 million buy-out option, but the Potters reportedly increased this to €15 million, forcing the deal to collapse.
Imbula has failed to settle in England following his club-record 18.3 million move from Porto in January 2016 (BBC Sport). The 24-year-old initially impressed, he was a mainstay in the Stoke midfield and scored two goals in 14 appearances.
Last season was one to forget for the former French under-21 international, as he played just 12 Premier League games. While his immediate future lies away from the Bet 365 Stadium, the club will be keen to recoup the majority of the money paid for him just a year and a half ago.
Stoke should try and use Torino’s interest in Imbula as leverage in a possible deal for their influential midfielder Marco Benassi.
The 22-year-old is the captain for both Torino and the Italy U21 team. He burst on to the scene as an 18-year-old for Inter Milan, but has gone on to become a key figure in a Torino side that has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, after joining the club in 2014.
Benassi has made 98 appearances for the Granata in three seasons, scoring 12 goals and notching up 10 assists in the process. He is touted as a future national team star, after playing 27 times for the under-21 side.
Stoke will be keen to bolster their midfield options, especially if Imbula does leave the club. The potential signing of Benassi would send out a statement and pave the way for a much improved season for Stoke.
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