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Report: Stoke City make £14m Badou Ndiaye bid; two stumbling blocks to signing Galatasaray midfielder

Villarreal's Mexican midfielder Jonathan dos Santos (L) vies with Osmanlispor's Senegalese midfielder Badou Ndiaye during the Europa League Group L...
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Paul Lambert has already made his first signing at Stoke City, but his second one could be a little tricker.

Fernando Boldrin (R) of Steaua Bucharest vies for the ball with Badou Ndiaye (L) of Osmanlispor during the UEFA Europa League group L football match between FC Steaua Bucharest and...

Stoke City have submitted a £14m offer to Galatasaray for midfielder Badou Ndiaye, according to reports in Turkey.

The Daily Mail had previously also linked the 27-year-old to Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion, but Turkish publication Sabah claims that Stoke have made the first move to get a deal done this January.

New manager Paul Lambert has already secured his first recuit by signing left-back Kostas Stafylidis on loan from Augsburg until the end of the season, and now appears to be focussing on strengthening the centre of the park.

Paul Lambert talks to the media as he is officially unveiled as Stoke City new manager at Britannia Stadium on January 16, 2018 in Stoke on Trent, England.

Joe Allen and Darren Fletcher have both been regulars for the Potters this season, but with Giannelli Imbula on loan at Toulouse, there is not much depth to the midfield options that the former Aston Villa manager has inherited.

Ndiaye only joined Galatasaray from Osmanlispor last summer for £6.6m and yet the Istanbul club would be demanding a fee of around £17.5m to sell the Senegalese international on so quickly, Sabah understands.

Villarreal's Mexican midfielder Jonathan dos Santos (L) vies with Osmanlispor's Senegalese midfielder Badou Ndiaye during the Europa League Group L football match Villarreal CF vs...

Sabah adds that there could be two complications to a potential transfer, with Galatasaray only willing to let Ndiaye go if they can find a replacement, which they feel will be difficult, and issues over a work permit being granted.

Although Ndiaye helped Senegal qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, he is short of the requirement to have played in at least 60% of their matches over the last two years, and his application may have to go to an appeal.