Liverpool have reportedly accepted a £13m bid for Euro 2016 star Joe Allen from fellow Premier League side Stoke City.
Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen joined the Reds from Swansea City in August 2012 for a fee of £15 million, following his manager Brendan Rodgers to Anfield. The 26-year-old has, however, failed to make an impact on a consistent basis for the Merseysiders since his move. Allen was restricted to just 19 league appearances last season, with 11 of them coming off the bench.
The Wales international was reportedly unsettled at the club, with reports linking him with a return to his boyhood club Swansea City, but Liverpool rejected an £8m bid for the midfielder from the Welsh club. Europa League champions Sevilla were also reportedly interested in Allen but were priced out of a move after Liverpool raised their asking price to £15 million.
Joe Allen has had an excellent European Championship campaign for Wales as the Dragons achieved their best ever finish in an international tournament. Their dream run came to a halt in the semi-finals as they fell to a 2-0 defeat to eventual champions Portugal. Allen played a pivotal role in their run to the semi-final and was deservedly named in the Euro 2016 Team of the Tournament.
Fresh reports from ESPN have claimed that Liverpool have accepted a £13 million bid for the player from Premier League side Stoke City. The bid is close to Liverpool’s £15 million valuation of the midfielder and would enable the Reds to recoup most of the money they paid Swansea to secure the midfielder’s services.
Joe Allen is in the last year of his current contract at Anfield and the reported transfer fee seems justified for the 26-year-old. With Liverpool having reportedly accepted a bid from Stoke, it is now down to the player to make the decision. The midfielder must now choose between staying at Liverpool to fight for a place in the starting XI with a number of new faces in midfield, and making a move to Stoke City to be a part of Mark Hughes’ project at the Britannia Stadium.