Stoke City have been linked with Napoli’s Vlad Chiriches.
According to a report by Gianluca Di Marzio, Stoke City have seen a £13.3 million bid for Napoli’s Vlad Chiriches turned down by the Italian club.
The Potters are intent on making their stay in the Championship a short one, as they seek an immediate return to the Premier League following their relegation from the top flight last season.
Newly-appointed manager Gary Rowett has already been busy moulding his new squad for the campaign, bringing in three players while seeing several stars leave including Ramadan Sobhi, Xherdan Shaqiri and Marc Muniesa.
With striker Benik Afobe joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan and midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo arriving from Feirense, it now appears Rowett has set his sights on bulking up the defence.
Chiriches has previously had a stint in the Premier League, joining Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 before leaving the north London club for Napoli two years later.
The 28-year-old is versatile and can play both in defence and as a holding midfielder, and his days in Napoli could be coming to an end after starting only a few games in all competitions last season.
Chiriches has struggled for regular game ever since moving to Naples, making just 29 league appearances in three season, but it appears the Serie A title challengers don’t want to see him leave on the cheap.
Stoke are backed by parachute payments in their bid to make a swift return to the top flight, while the Potters could also cash in on players such as Jack Butland and Joe Allen to further help their cause.
Chiriches would be quite a coup at Championship level considering his vast experience, but it appears he won’t come cheap and Stoke may have to dig a little deeper if they wish to bring him to the Bet365 Stadium.
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